


Silhouette

by ronniedale



Category: Riverdale - Fandom
Genre: Angst, ArchieRonnie, Multi, Unplanned Pregnancy, famous archie, kevin is the best friend, musician archie, reggie is underrated, ronnie is an angel, slowburn?, varchie, varchieau
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-14
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-05-07 06:11:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 43,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14664948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ronniedale/pseuds/ronniedale
Summary: “We’ve become echoes, but echoes they fade away.”She feels hollow, like only a silhouette of herself when she wakes up next to someone she feels like she barely knows anymore in a place that definitely doesn’t feel like home. It feels like karma, she thinks. She decides it most definitely is.[ In which Veronica Lodge declares the rest of her year as self exploration, but finds herself stuck after a bump in the road. ]





	1. January: Waking Up

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading and hopefully leaving comments or Kudos on this story if you enjoyed it. I certainly hope you did!! Please direct any questions to my tumblr @kevinandronniedale and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

January: Waking Up

It feels strange to her spending each morning in a new city, her body pressed up against Archie’s torso. She enjoys listening to his heartbeat, for it has become a familiar and calming sound. 

Today, it soothes her back into a light sleep until she feels her boyfriend begin to comb through her hair with his fingers. Opening her eyes, she gives herself a minute to adjust to the bright light streaming in, covering her bare chest with the white hotel comforter. Pulling her phone off of the charger, she sits up to check it. 

Archie sits up as well, turning on the hotel television to some home improvement show and cuddling up next to Veronica again. He peppers her collar bone with a series of kisses so light that her skin tingles.

“I’m gonna hop in the shower,” he decides, climbing out of bed. Without question or second thought, he picks her up. Tanned legs wrapping around his waist, she showers with him. They kiss and do nothing more under the warm spray, enjoying one another’s company as they always do.

x

Promising to meet her back at 3 before the show, Archie leaves for rehearsal with his band. Veronica wanders the streets of Kansas City alone, stopping into cute stores and checking her phone.

Sometimes it does feel hard to see her friends on social media, Betty and Kevin hanging out without her or trips back to Riverdale in the summer with Josie and Val and Mel that she misses. But she knows this is what she signed up for, and the price of not being with Archie was too much to pay. 

He thanks her often, says she’s his muse and he’s not sure what he would do without her, but she still feels upset. After all, it was increasingly hard to give up your life to travel the country with someone else when they don’t get to experience it with you.

Veronica was beyond proud of Archie and all that he’d done for himself, for them. Proving he was able to provide for her without getting his degree. Her connections may have gotten him a record deal but his natural talent and long nights staying up writing were the cause of his success. 

She repeats this to herself when she starts to crave home, feeling so guilty when he should be her home.

Her cell rings, drawing her back into reality as she sits at a table for two in a cafe, alone. It’s Archie, and she answers immediately.

They talk for only a couple of minutes, and she is completely unsurprised. He won’t be able to make late lunch before the show, but he’ll see her backstage. The feeling of homesickness creeps back in, and as much as she wills it away it stays.

x

Now to be fair, she loves Archie’s shows. Five or six nights a week she stands backstage and smiles proudly, hearing words roll off of his tongue about her. They’re not just words to her either, they’re fond memories. 

The homecoming dance in sophomore year when he was forbidden, but she kissed his lips and they were saccharine sweet. And that same year, the empty feeling when they separated in a dirty parking lot in the south side. Tangled bedsheets and stolen promises in their junior year, turning into something so real and stable the year after. 

The strumming of his guitar has always calmed her, but not when it’s drowned out by thousands and thousands of girls screaming for HER boyfriend in a new stadium each night. 

Still, she puts on one of her dresses and black strappy pumps, deciding to pair it with a denim shirt of Archie’s. She remembers how he packs almost exactly, knowing it’s in the top left corner of his suitcase. But when she checks, the things in his suitcase are messy and not in their usual place, looking strewn. Her compulsiveness makes her pull out the items in the suitcase, finally finding the denim shirt when a glint of light blue catches her eye.

When she sees it, she’s sure she’s imagining things but on second look it has to be- she knows her Tiffany’s boxes. Pulling off the teal lid, she sees the second black velvet box underneath and shuts it to avoid temptation.

It’s been 5 years, so maybe he really is finally proposing. Now that Veronica thinks about it, maybe she’s been wanting this for a while now. It’s just been focusing on Archie’s career for the last year. Taking a deep breath, Veronica rearranges the suitcase and finishes getting ready

x

Somehow she manages to get backstage without fans bombarding her with questions about Archie or messages to send to him, and she’s thankful because she could snap at any moment. He catches her before he has to go on, looking like a dream in his white v-neck tee shirt and jeans with a jacket she picked out for him.

It still never ceases to amaze her that he still so down to earth. He goes out and performs in front of sold out stadiums, but he’s never been confident in himself.

Veronica kisses him just under the jaw, his favorite spot that keeps him calm and focused on the things that matter. He adjusts the watch that he still wears from sophomore year, other hand resting on the curve of her waist as he breathes slowly. 

She pecks his lips once, drawing him back down to Earth as she whispers, “Buena suerte mi amor.” And though he doesn’t speak Spanish, he’s learned exactly what it means and he’s sure if she didn’t say it, he wouldn’t do well.

Veronica knows she’s completely enamored by the melody of his voice. It takes her back to the Andrews garage, of days where all she would do was listen to him sing and strum. She thinks she could do that forever.

The words seem to glide off of his tongue so effortlessly, the pain seeping through his voice because his words are real. 

His current song is one of his most popular, one he wrote about the time where he put his heart on the line but Veronica wasn’t sure how to reciprocate it.

‘Its harder now we’re breaking

And I should know its never right for me to say I wanted this

I know I can't but I can still recall, I gave it all

Given up on luck my heads above the dust’

And then the guilt comes back, as much as she tries to swallow this funny feeling she can’t. He smiled back at her close to the end of his set and she smiles back, really smiles, all the way from her core because he just looks so excited that he gets to share this with her.

Scratching her arm, she thinks of how unequivocally in love with him -and everything he is- she has become. Or she should say, has always been. Because she has always belonged to him. 

There isn’t a way she could forget, she’s drowning in the thought when he’s kissing her from backstage all the way through the hallway and into their room.

“I missed you today,” Archie sighs on her lips, taking off his shoes and jacket and holding onto her waist more than innocently. They move their way to the bed, connected at the lips and he undresses her slowly, with the attention she’s been craving lately and it’s enough to make her forget she ever doubted how she felt about all of this with him.

x

Both extremely worn out, they groan as Veronica’s phone goes off near 1 in the morning. He reaches across the bed to hand it to her, kissing her forehead as he does so. 

“It’s Kevin,” Veronica sighs, swiping to answer his FaceTime as she covers her top half with the bedsheet.

“Veronica!” Kevin halfway shouts from the other end, looking to be in a less crowded part of Riverdale’s only gay bar. Taking note of her bare shoulders, he chuckles with a slight smirk and adds, “Hi Archie.”

Veronica rolls her eyes and quietly tries to stop Archie from kissing up her arms because she’s enjoying it a little too much for Kevin to see. 

“So the two of you will be in Dallas on Thursday right?” Kevin asks, asking someone else to go get him a refill. 

“Yeah Kev, why?” she responds, motioning for Archie to grab her glasses and a water. He complies and grabs her a shirt from his bag. 

“My new boyfriend and I were wanting to come out and see the show!” Kevin explains, cheerily. Archie holds the phone while Veronica changes, and shakes his head at the suggestion.

“Listen, Kev, as much as I’d like to see you- Ronnie and I are pretty busy on show days.” But Veronica- eager to have some company in the lonely cities- rips the phone from Archie’s hand.

“I, on the other hand, think you should absolutely come out and see me. Archie has a double show in Dallas so we can stay and check out all of the malls while Archie is busy.” 

The pair of friends babbled on about plans for the short trip, and about how the new boyfriend came to be as Archie scrolled through his phone, clearly annoyed. When Veronica hung up, she crawled a little on the bed to straddle Archie’s legs.

“Now that we’re awake...” she grinned suggestively, leaning to kiss Archie as he pulled away.

“We should probably get some sleep, Veronica. The plane leaves at 8 AM.” 

She retreated back to her side of the bed, feeling sick, as she had this afternoon.

“If this is about Kevin coming, I’ll-“

“No, babe.” he cut her off, kissing the side of her wrist. “It’s fine, as long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”

She wants to believe it, she really does. But she can’t. Archie falls asleep quickly.

Veronica doesn’t.

x


	2. February: The Beginning of the End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song lyrics in this chapter are from “Small Things” by Ben Howard.

February: The Beginning of the End

 

Has the world gone mad  
Or is it me?  
All these small things gather round me  
And I can’t see my love

x

She wakes before he does, feeling warm breath on her neck as his body is pressed against her bare back. By the way he has his face nuzzled into her neck, she can feel the light stubble which is typical after they’ve been traveling for a day or two.

Slipping out from under the sheets of today’s hotel bed, she finds Archie’s shirt on the floor and slips it on with a sports bra and a pair of joggers. Having only twenty minutes before she needs to leave to pick up Kevin, she simply washes her face and brushes her teeth before finding shoes and her purse. Leaving Archie with a kiss on the cheek, she dashes out of the hotel room just on time.

x

Seeing Kevin is purely magical, she decides- the way his hug feels with his sweaters and the smile he emits when he’s running towards the car. It’s extremely hard to be away from her best friend for that long, especially after how much she’d grown to rely on Kevin for advice. 

The bonus is that Kevin also brought his boyfriend, Scott, who she thinks will get along great with Archie since he has on a football t-shirt. 

“Well, Kev,” Veronica smiles from the driver’s seat, feeling a bit like a chauffeur with Kevin and Scott in the backseat. “Scott is quite the handsome guy, you’ve outdone yourself.” 

Scott thanks her, embarrassedly so, and Kevin chuckles, perplexed. “You’re dating every girls’ heartthrob crush. I think we know who’s good at picking the handsome ones.”

Reaching back to slap his leg, Veronica scoffs and turns to face him at a stoplight, “I’ll have you know Kevin,” she begins in a snippy tone, “It’s not exactly a dream to be dating the love of every thirteen year old’s life.”

Kevin chuckles at that, reaching to hug her from the backseat. “I’ve missed you, we all miss you back home.”

It causes Veronica to sigh, tapping her thumbs on the steering wheel of her rental car. “I miss home.”

Silence fills the car for a moment before she turns on the radio to coincidentally one of Archie’s songs, making her smile lightly as she watches the oncoming traffic and merges into a lane. She has become quite good at driving, due to a need for transport from hotels.

x

Growing impatient, she finally takes to quite literally sitting on top of him. “Archie!” she halfway yells, tapping on both of his arms. “Wake up, babe.”

At last opening his eyes to see her, he laughs a little bit. “Well good morning, Ronnie.”

Climbing off of his lap, she pulls back the sheets and the comforter. “Now get up lazyhead. We’re meeting Kevin and Scott for lunch in an hour and a half.” 

“Can’t we just stay in bed,” Archie groans, transforming into a smile as he slips his hands around her backside. “I promise it’ll be fun.”

“Archie Andrews.” she tries to be stern, letting out a giggle when he hits her butt.

“Fine, honey. I’ve gotta shower, do you need one?” he suggests, completely naked as he crosses the hotel room to the bathroom.

He doesn’t miss the way her eyes travel his torso and then the rest of his body, smiling to herself. “I was gonna go get us coffee, if you’d like some.”

Backtracking so he’s near her, he leans down to kiss her quickly, sucking on her lower lip until it’s a little plump. “Sure, my wallet is on the dresser.” 

His touch sends a chill down her spine.  
x

By the time she arrives back in the hotel room with coffee, he’s ready to leave. Veronica still has to change, so Archie checks emails and such as he lays on the bed.

She emerges from the bathroom in one of Archie’s tees, tied up with a pair of ripped jeans and sandals. “Do I look alright?” she halfway smiles, giving a spin to show the full outfit.

Archie starts to seem nervous, sitting up and looking at the shirt. “Have you been in my suitcase?”

Veronica is a bit taken aback by how aggressive his statement was, widening her eyes. “Uh, yeah. I can change.” 

 

“N-no, it’s just-“ Archie stammers, concerning his girlfriend that something is being hidden from her. “I’ve got something in there for you, but you can’t see it yet.” he concludes, still looking a little stressed about the whole situation.

“Oh,” Veronica grins lightly, rethinking of the shiny black velvet box she found hidden in his underwear. “Did you get something for me?” she smirks, traipsing over to the bed to climb onto his lap and touch foreheads.

“Maybe,” Archie cannot possibly hide the grin forming on his face as his hands come around to rest on her lower back, fingertips sneaking beneath the hem of fabric. The tanned skin underneath feels so soft and smooth on his fingertips, a feeling he’s grown so used to.

“I don’t have anything for you.” A fake frown is used in her reply, still so close to his face that she can feel his breath tickle her nose. “But-“ she continues, hips pressing into his a slight bit, “I’m sure I can figure out something.”

Just as fast as it began, she hops off from his lap and grabs her purse, motioning towards the door.

Archie groans, reluctantly following her outside of the door. “I never knew when I fell in love with you all those years ago that you’d be the death of me.”

His statement causes her to laugh softly. “You have absolutely no idea.”  
x

They meet Kevin and Scott at some hip and new restaurant on a rooftop of a building in Downtown Dallas, and Veronica observes the place as Archie taps on her thigh to the beat of the music playing. 

Archie and the boyfriend make small talk as Kevin and Veronica catch up on life in Riverdale. She goes to rest her own hand on Archie’s leg and notices his knee is tapping quite a lot. He must be nervous, for what she cannot decide.

And then she remembers the velvet box, the one she hopes contains the ring she’s been dreaming of for years now. Maybe, hopefully, that will cure her worries about her relationship. Falling in deep as she usually does, she’s already dreaming up the dress and the venue and the way it will feel to have a forever. 

Leaning her head on his shoulder, she takes another drink of her wine and snuggles into the fabric of his jacket. He presses a gentle kiss to her temple as Kevin swoons over them, closing her eyes and trying to soak in today- she doesn’t feel homesick today. Maybe it’s Kevin, but she hopes it’s the fact that Archie’s been focusing more on her.

It’s rare that he has an off day, but when he does he’s usually doing press or writing for his next album. Today she’s spent the entire day with him, save the time that he was asleep in the morning. It gives her hope that he’s probably proposing.

“So,” Archie interjects. “What were you guys thinking for dinner?”

Scott turns to Kevin as he scratches the back of his neck lightly. “We were gonna go to this- how should I put it?”

“A gay bar.” Kevin explains. “Not really your scene at all.”

Archie and Veronica share a knowing look as she giggles, assuring the two guys that it’s totally okay that they made plans already. 

“Y’know, babe, I could get a last minute reservation at that place on McKinney?” Archie suggests to her, searching it on his phone to show her.

It’s an incredibly nice restaurant, as well as very expensive- the perfect place for a proposal she thinks. They talk about the tour for the rest of lunch, Archie picking up the tab. The four of them decide to do some light shopping- mostly Veronica and Kevin- and they browse a few stores.

Kevin pulls Veronica into a store, leaving Scott and Archie to stand and watch the basketball game that’s on a TV in an outside bar. Making sure they’re out of sight, Veronica grabs Kevin’s arm and whispers.

“Tell me if I’m crazy, but I’m pretty sure Archie’s gonna propose tonight?” she reveals, watching Kevin’s reaction carefully to detect any lies.

His face seems honest, “I mean, I don’t know V. You’ve been dating for what, um-“

“Almost six years since we got back together for the last time in junior year.” Veronica further explains. Gears seem to turn in Kevin’s head, brows creasing in question.

“Has he been weird lately?” he asks, thinking of possibilities. Veronica nods in response, “And have you found any clues? Like search history... anything V.”

“Don’t freak out- but I totally found a Tiffany’s box in his luggage.” she whisper yells, laughing at Kevin’s expression.

“Holy shit, Veronica. So are you gonna say yes?” Kevin continues, almost jumping up and down from excitement.

“Well, I don’t wanna assume he’s gonna ask- but of course I’d say yes. He’s just the best, Kev.” Veronica sighs happily, dreaming of a ring on her left hand. 

x

“C’mon, baby,” Archie yells, knocking on the bathroom door for the fifth time in the past minute.

“One second,” she yells back, finally opening the door and doing a quick spin so Archie can admire her.

“Holy hell,” Archie says lowly, mouth agape as his eyes scan her body. “You look spectacular,” he finds his words, gaze still lost somewhere between her knees and collar bones. 

Tonight she’s dressed in a tight black dress with lace trim, cutouts accentuating her toned body. She’s recently been keeping her hair a little shorter, and she’s straightened it which is rare but also Archie’s favorite. Choosing to go simple, she wears a pair of black pumps and some basic gold jewelry. 

He holds her hand through the hotel and in their Uber, constantly pressing kisses to the base of her fingers or her neck- wherever his lips can meet first. The hostess at the restaurant seats them in the far back, a tall booth for two that’s very secluded. It looks romantic, and she wonders if they’re all set up the same.

Up until now, she’s avoided glancing at his pockets to see if there’s a certain box, but now that they’re seated across from one another she doesn’t have a chance to look.

But under the dim lights of the restaurant, he looks so handsome with some light facial hair- and the tie which he still can’t do properly. Tapping her acrylic nails on the drink menu, she decides and tells Archie so he can order that bottle of wine for the both of them to split.

Archie reaches across the table to hold her left hand with his right hand, and cup her face with his left. “Ronnie, I don’t think you’ll ever understand how much you mean to me.”

She just smiles sweetly in response, drinking from her glass of white wine as she tries to remain patient. And then suddenly, he’s doing it. He’s reaching in his pocket and she sees the black velvet box in his hand.

“I thought I’d do this before we got our food,” he laughs lightly, not seeming nervous like she assumed he’d be. This is it, she thinks, the moment that he finally does it. 

He’s opening the box, which is confusing to her that he’s not kneeling but maybe he didn’t wanna come off as too traditional. But then it hits her.

Inside the black box, there’s no ring at all. Just a necklace in the shape of angel wings, a small gold chain and delicate charm that would be absolutely stunning if she could stop thinking about how stupid she is.

Her stomach is turning now, and she has no idea if she’s doing an okay job of hiding her disappointment. She must be, because he smiles back at her widely with his perfect white teeth. 

“It’s just a little token of my appreciation for you, babe. I saw it and I had to get it, cause you’re my angel.” Archie explains, and it shatters her heart into a thousand pieces because she just really thought this was finally the time.

He’s still talking, but she can’t hear over the pounding in her head. “Do you not like it?” Archie asks, holding the necklace in his hands.

“No, no, it’s uh- it’s beautiful. I j- I just, I need some fresh air.” she shutters, blotting her wet eyes with a napkin before rushing out.

She all but runs out the side door to a covered area, leaning against the brick wall for support. Holding back her hair, she throws up lightly, whimpering and feeling all sorry for herself.

Inside, Archie pays for the wine and a tip, apologizing excessively as he leaves to find her. 

When he turns the corner, he finds her chewing on the inside of her cheek and wiping tears, pulling her into his arms as quickly as he can. “Did I say something wrong? Are you okay?”

She pulls away, scared of the questions he’s asking because she knows she isn’t okay but she can’t face the alternative. “I, I don’t know how to say this.” Veronica awkwardly frowns, crossing her arms after she pushes away from him.

“You’re scaring me, babe. What is it? Just talk to me,” he urges, giving her some more space.

After a moment and a huge breath, she blurts it out. “I thought you were going to ask me to marry you tonight.”

The traffic whizzes by, and the nightlife is prevalent, they can hear music all over the place and people pass on the street. It all seems to blur together to her. She hears the first of his reply and then she feels sick again. 

“Oh.” he says. 

x

After shutting the door loudly, he follows her to the bed and grabs onto her wrist. She pulls away, recoiling at his touch.

“Veronica, can we talk please?” he says, sounding upset.

“What do you wanna talk about?” Veronica shrugs, not listening as she takes her earrings out and puts them on the left side nightstand. 

“You’ve been silent.” Archie presses, crossing his arms from the other side of the bed.

“I’m upset,” she halfway chuckles, swallowing bile that rises in her throat.

“Is it because of this whole not proposing thing? Because we can go get married in a courthouse right now if that’s what you want, Ronnie.” he sighs, and she responds with a horrible look.

“You’re making it worse.” 

He responds to her statement by outstretching his arms for a hug, frowning. “Ronnie, we can go home and get married. Have a huge wedding- or New York or anywhere. Anything you want.”

“No, because that’s not what you wanted! And, maybe it’s stupid. I guess I just thought the reason you were being so attentive today was because you were going to finally ask me to marry you.” she replies back yelling, stubborn tears held in the corners of her eyes.

“Just because I didn’t propose didn’t mean I don’t want to spend my life with you. I’ve just been busy with-“

“You’re always busy.” Veronica interrupted. “It’s like I’m not even your girlfriend anymore, you never make time for me.”

“Why is this about more than me not proposing? I’ve just been-“

Veronica interrupts again, hot tears dribbling down her cheeks. “Stop making it about you. Everything is about you, and this shouldn’t be.”

“What do you mean everything is about me? Babe, I’m trying to understand, but you’ve gotta meet me halfway.” Archie sighs, forehead creasing in concern.

Veronica laughs a little, tears still streaming down her face as she talks. “I gave up everything, I moved away from my friends and my family and my home so that I could come with you.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” he yells, clearly also frustrated. “I never made you do that.”

“I didn’t wanna lose you.” Veronica says softer, making him cross the bed to touch her waist. 

“You weren’t gonna lose me, you still won’t.” the redhead promises. 

She’s looking into those soft brown eyes, and the feeling comes back. It makes her want to throw up. She thinks she might. 

“I feel like I already have. I don’t know who you are anymore.”

His face sinks at that, biting his lip slightly as he winces. “Baby, don’t say that. C’mon. I love you.”

“Please don’t call me that.” Veronica snaps back, retreating from him. “I think maybe I should go.”

x

Archie finally convinces her to stay, deciding he’ll sleep on the couch. She dresses affirmatively in her own silk pajamas and turns the TV on loudly as if he would try to talk to her. 

In her peripheral vision, she sees him walking towards the hotel bed. Scooting herself firmly to the middle of the bed, she delivers her best eye roll. He has to stretch a little bit to reach her, but he persists and places a soft kiss on her left temple.

“I love you,” he whispers, head still close to hers and she puts her hands on his chest to push back slightly.

“Archie, don’t.” she pouts, not wanting to fall back into his embrace.

“You don’t have to say it back, but I want you to hear it. We’ll talk in the morning, yeah?” he asks, and she nods a little bit. A little smile spreads across his face. 

“Maybe.” 

It’s a little hard to fall asleep, even though she can hear his light snore from across the hotel room. Without his body presses against hers, the room feels a lot colder.

That night, she memorizes the way the bed feels without him in it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I apologize for how long it took but I’ve been out of the country recently, and haven’t had much time to write since I’ve been back. Updates should be much more frequent now, maybe once every week or two weeks. Thank you for reading!


	3. March: Letting Go

March: Letting Go

Please don’t fall apart, I can’t face your breaking heart.  
I’m trying to be brave, stop asking me to stay.

x

She hates the way his voice sounds when he’s yelling at her from across the room, hands in the air because they’re past the point of fixing. Trying to keep from saying anything else hurtful, she bites her tongue as he finishes.

“I’m leaving tomorrow morning.” she finally whispers, rubbing her left arm. It’s been eating her alive for a while now, the feeling of homesickness taking over. 

“What?” Archie asks, voice cracking in his question as he searches her eyes. His ears must be deceiving him because she can’t actually leave.

“I’m leaving. I’m going home tomorrow.” Veronica sighs, shaking a little bit as she gnaws on her bottom lip.

He takes quite a few moments to process the information, sitting on the edge of the bed and burying his face in his hands. “You’re really leaving?” he asks, still not believing what she’s saying.

“Yeah. I didn’t know how to say it, but I am.” 

“Is there anything I can do to change your mind? I’ll do anything Ronnie, I’ll get on my knees and beg if that’s what it takes. I- I can’t do this without you.” he shakes a little as he breathes. “What I mean is, none of this means anything without you.”

“No, I’ve gotta do this. You can’t change my mind.” she decides, composing herself. 

“Ronnie, baby, I-“

“Don’t!” she finally yells, throwing her phone at the wall. “Don’t make me love you anymore, I can’t. I won’t.”

He’s retreated again to the bed, sitting just over the edge of it. “I wish I would’ve known you felt like this, all this time.” Archie sighs, eyes looking a little tired and it breaks her heart right then.

What is she doing? To herself, and to him?

“What do you mean ‘felt like this’?” she asks, maybe three yards away from him after calming down, her breath evening out.

“Like you stopped loving me, like you hate me now and you act like I’m a monster.” he whispers, voice cracking. She can hardly make out his face in the dim light of the hotel lamp but she can tell he’s hurt. 

“I don’t hate you, that’s the problem.” she whimpers, stepping close enough to touch his cheek, dragging her thumb across the middle of the left side of his face. 

The scar is small and you wouldn’t notice it unless you knew him well enough, but for her she would always notice it. It was maybe an inch long and blended into his skin, lightly dipping below the surface of his face.

It was from the night of the rumble, in the middle of a time where everyone was so on edge but she can remember how it was when they were alone- like there was nothing but the two of them in the world. She laid on his bed that night and cleaned the cut, worried about him but somehow things seemed to shift for them that night.

He always tells her that’s the night he realized he was in love with her. 

She leans forward just enough to kiss the scar, pulling away a bit, “I love you. An intoxicating amount. I don’t know how to quit.”

He sighs, holding onto her waist as his knees press into the fronts of her thighs. “Then don’t, stay. Marry me? I honestly just want you, that’s all I need and I’ll do whatever it takes to have you in my life.” Archie begs, breaking down finally and she can see droplets of tears filling the corners of his eyes. “I know I’ve been stupid, I’ve been so fucking stupid. But I can’t lose you.”

“Arch- I can’t stay. I want to, but you and I both know I can’t.” she frowns, feeling his grip tighten on her waist. 

“You can’t leave.” he repeats, an unknown look on his face that she’s certain she’s never witnessed. 

“I’ve already made my mind up, I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.” Veronica shakes her head, feeling like she’s the monster in this situation now.

He chuckles slightly, tipping his head back. “What am I supposed to do when you’re gone? Because I don’t know, I don’t know what it feels like to be without you. You walked into my life 7 years ago and I remember feeling like I hadn’t lived until I knew you. There was never a moment, not even a second that I didn’t love you for everything you were, for the person you are. And the person you make me- Ronnie I, I don’t know that I can be this guy without you.”

Her heart physically hurts, actual pain like she’s never felt before. It feels like he’s just reached into her chest and ripped out her heart, crushing it right in front of her eyes, but she can’t blame him. 

“Arch,” she whimpers, leaning in before she can even stop herself. His lips feel as pliant as they always do, soft and sweet, as they fit perfectly with hers- like a puzzle piece. 

Not realizing how much she’s leaning into him, he falls back on the bed, pulling her down with him. She doesn’t pull apart for a second, laying on top of him as his hands curve around her backside.

She’s kissing him with a passion that she hasn’t had in months and she’s pushing her hands into her chest. He still wears the same brand of white v-necks, the ones that hang loosely over her frames some morning and drape her in the feeling of him. Her nails dig into his skin, and he winces internally but he doesn’t want her to quit- to let go- so he sucks in a breath through his teeth and reciprocates with numbed lips. 

Archie feels the way her hips are opening, dipping lower into his body as her hands slip under the hem of his shirt, he realizes it too soon and it feels like a brick wall crashing into him. “Ve- Veronica,” he pants, pulling his lips from hers with a string of saliva. “This is fucked up.”

The raven haired girl doesn’t turn away, doesn’t hesitate or move, just pulls his face closer by the hand on his neck. “You think I don’t realize that?” she adds with a twisted laugh. Their faces are so close that he feels the air bounce off of her laughter, noses brushing and the contact is too much and not enough all at once. 

“It makes things more complicated, and this is gonna hurt-“

She cuts him off, eyes looking so brown that he forgets everything else in the world but the way her soft skin feels under his fingers, “Please.”

That’s all it takes to have him kissing her again, fingers carding through her long locks of hair and down her back to hold her behind and press her deeper into him. She takes shaky hands to drag his t-shirt up, his abs contracting with every touch. “Mm,” Pulling his lips back once again, he tilts up her chin to look him in the eyes. “I don’t want this to be something you regret.”

Taking his shirt completely off, as well as her own- the same way she always has with a crossing of her arms- she whispers. “Never.”

As gently as he can, he holds her waist, rubbing the golden skin and kissing her again, she pushes him back to the pillows, fumbling with his button and finally getting it. Lifting to her knees, she slips them past his hips and down to his ankles, doing her best to finally remove them.

With her own hands, she moves his up on her back to find the back of her bra, and pushes his fingers towards unclasping it until he finally does. He’s nervous, in the same way he was when they were 16 up in her bed, unable to read the girl lying with him. 

Slipping the straps off, it joins the pile on the floor. She’s naked from the waist up and he can’t help but stare, soaking it in, incase this is the last time- he hates to think that. 

Clearly in a hurry, she’s slipping her fingers between the band of his briefs and his skin, acrylic nails scratching as he shivers beneath her. 

His mouth is everywhere he can get it, her lips, her jaw, the swell of her breast. He presses his nose to the skin between her breasts just as she slips his last bit of fabric off to join the pile.

Trying to do something he’s unsure of, he wonders if she can hear his heartbeat. He’s sure it’s loud, pounding out of his chest because he can’t find the words to make her stay.

There’s only her underwear separating the two, and she finally gives in to slip them off herself, coming back to straddle his legs and kiss him again. This time it’s gentle, a little too tender.

He can taste the raspberry chapstick, her minty toothpaste that’s always recognizable. No lips have ever felt that soft, especially the bottom one- the way it slides between his own two lips like silk. Pulling away to lick his own lips, he’s very aware of how she’s lining herself up, hands on his shoulders for stability as he holds her waist

Just like the first time, she sinks down onto him, a rough sound slipping between her lips as she grips his back, nails scratching him to the rhythm of their bodies. Her hips dip slightly before pulling up, and his lips go straight to her chest, kissing and trailing there until another rough sound slips out of her mouth.

Archie wonders if she feels it too, the way their bodies fit together, the way that he can’t even think of another human being when he’s with her like this, getting lost in their own pleasure. 

He’s matching her hips now, trying to find a way to compensate for this, for the feeling that all he can do is make her feel good tonight. It still feels like it always does, perfect and gentle. 

Trailing her body with his eyes, he tries to memorize every last detail of her body. The curves of her hips, her golden collar bones, the things he knows that no matter how hard he tries he won’t be able to forget. 

Her breaths are heavy, and he can feel her speeding up. Slipping his hand between their bodies, he touches her just there. He can feel his own release coming but he wants to make sure she’s taken care of first.

Feeling her come undone around him, he presses into her waist a little tighter as her forehead comes to fall on his. With two more thrusts he’s there with her, falling into ecstasy. They take a moment to catch their breath, bare bodies pressed against each other.

After a bit, she climbs off of his lap and sweeps her hair to one side. They don’t speak, he doesn’t have half of a clue what to say. Veronica just curls up into his side, laying her head on his chest and pulling the sheets over their bodies.

He kisses her forehead all along her hairline, feeling her warm cheek brush his chest. Veronica sighs, brain running a million miles a minute. She knows this is what she wanted, but now she doesn’t know if she can pull the trigger. 

They physically could not be any closer than they are now, but she’s never felt further from him before.

x

The sun rises at 6:30 where he is, pouring in through the open blinds of the hotel room. He rubs his eyes, noticing the empty bed and the pulled back sheets where she was sleeping. 

Quickly, he gets up and looks around for any trace of Veronica- he finds nothing. Not a single item of clothing, any bit of proof that she was ever even there. She didn’t say goodbye, either.

His breath feels like it’s sweeping out of his lungs, short gasps of air and there’s tears running down his face out of anger. 

“No, no.” he mutters under his breath. “Fuck,” he yells, punching the air. “Fuck.” Archie mumbles again, kicking the end of the bed as hard as he possibly can. 

He all but collapses on the bed, tears soaking his face as he reaches for his phone. At last, he finally dials his phone, hearing the other end pick up.

“She’s gone, she’s gone.” he repeats, voice shaking. “Fuck, I don’t know what to do.”

“Arch slow down,” the person on the other line suggests, “Breathe.”

“I can’t fucking breathe Betty,” he sighs, rubbing his temples. “She wasn’t supposed to leave.”

“Archie, it’s 7:30 a.m. here. You’re gonna need to explain a little better,” the blonde yawns through the phone.

“Veronica, she just, she said she was going to leave and then I woke up this morning. She’s gone. Not a goodbye, nothing.” Archie mumbles, tapping his knee as he thinks about what to do.

“That’s not like her,” Betty says, confusion lacing her words. “Look for a note.” she suggests.

Searching all around the room, he’s come up with nothing until he checks the dresser. Next to the box of the necklace is a little sheet paper he can tell Veronica tore out of the journal she carried in her purse.

Betty is rambling on the other end of the line, but he cuts her off. “I gotta go.... uh thanks Betty.”

It’s obvious the note was written quickly, but her handwriting still looks fancy to him, swirly cursive that he adjusted to reading.

‘I couldn’t bear to say goodbye to you, I don’t think I would’ve been able to leave. I’ve decided that for the rest of this year, I’m moving back to the city and working on myself. I hope you can respect my choice and move on to other things.  
All my love,  
Ronnie’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for any mistakes, this was only briefly edited by myself. I hope you enjoy this chapter! It’s not as long as I originally wanted but this goes best with the timeline. Please give me a review in the comments of what you thought! Thank you.


	4. April: How to Forget

April: How to Forget

 

_Pins and needles in my legs,_

_No anesthetic could make me numb to you._

_How can I blackout you?_

 

x

 

 

Shivering, Veronica pulls the dark gray comforter over her head in the middle of the night. Try as she might, she just can’t seem to get comfortable enough to doze off, chills shivering up her spine.

 

“Fuck,” she mumbles under her breath as her phone rings for the seventeenth time that night, the same name spreading across the screen. ‘Archie’ it says, with the heart eye emoji next to it, a goofy picture of his face plastered next to the contact name.

 

A part of her has the instinct to block him, so she doesn’t have to feel that stabbing pain in her heart every time she reads those six letters that spell his name, so she’s not reminded of all the goofy Sunday afternoons they spent curled up under bedsheets making the silliest faces at one another and kissing until her lips were numb.

 

Rolling over, she waits with her eyes open in pure black before the screen lights up with a text.

 

‘Please answer.’ it reads, and she wants to, she really does. But she’s terrified of the things she’ll feel if she does. It feels as if she’s always like that with Archie, running from the way he makes her feel to avoid getting hurt.

 

She clicks her phone off again and again, three more calls coming through and the noise seeping through the room. Finally after about twenty minutes there’s a soft knock on the bedroom door and in walks Kevin, sleepy eyes and messy hair.

 

Veronica sits up and pulls the blanket over her shoulders as Kevin sits on the edge of the bed.

 

“Oh honey, you look treacherous,” he says honestly, making Veronica roll her eyes as she holds back the tears. “I know your phone keeps ringing. Is it him?”

 

She nods, humming a bit under her breath as she picks apart the threads of the blanket. “Yeah. It’s him.”

 

“Are you gonna answer?” Kevin asks, and she doesn’t know how to answer because she’s wondering the same thing.

 

“I don’t think I can,” she sighs, a tear dribbling down her cheek.

 

There’s silence for a few minutes until Kevin scoots closer, and Veronica falls into his arms, burying her head into his shoulder and letting out quiet sobs.

 

“I don’t want to, Kevin. I don’t want to.” she repeats over and over, like a pattern. The only sound other than her cries is the whirling noise of the ceiling fan.

 

“It’s okay, V. You don’t have to do anything right now.” Kevin whispers, rubbing her shoulders. He waits for some reply, but looks to see that she’s already sleeping soundly in his arms.

 

 

x

 

She wakes up late the next morning, around 11 and Kevin is no longer with her, but she sees light flooding from under her door and assumes he’s in the living room. Rolling over to check her phone, she sees tons of texts from her friends all asking similar questions.

 

‘Is everything okay?’

‘What’s going on?’

‘Are you guys okay?’

 

She’s genuinely confused, maybe Archie would’ve told people about their breakup but it wouldn’t have been that big of a deal to all of those people.

 

Dropping it, she moves to Twitter and sees a news headline that makes her feel a little sick.

 

‘Singer Archie Andrews cancels next 7 shows of his nationwide tour, due to personal reasons’

 

And she’s surprised, to say the absolute least. They’d had little fights before where she left for a couple of days but he never ever cancelled a show, nor would he ever let down his fans.

 

And she left almost three weeks ago, so she wonders why it’s just happening now- unless it’s settling in that she’s not coming back.

 

But no, this is different, she thinks. It feels final to her, like this is actually the end. Closing out of Twitter to text Archie’s manager, a sudden rush comes over her and she’s covering her mouth as she runs to the connecting bathroom.

 

Hunched over the toilet, she throws up whatever she’s eaten in the last two days, which to be honest isn’t much. It’s been a hard month since she left, and she’s done nothing but sit in bed.

 

The dry heaving hurts her throat until she’s done, looking at herself in the mirror before brushing her teeth. Making her way to the living room, Kevin looks concerned.

 

“Hey, I heard you in the bathroom, everything okay?” he asks. “Do you feel warm?”

 

Pressing the back of her hand to her forehead she decides she feels a hundred percent normal, and now that it’s over she feels totally okay too.

 

“No, perfectly fine. That’s weird, I don’t feel sick.” she tells him, coming to sit on the couch.

 

“What could it be?” he squints his eyes, searching her for other symptoms.

 

“Probably just stress, and the fact that I’m not eating very well.” Veronica tells him, but she’s also convincing herself that it’s that, because she really doesn’t wanna be sick.

 

“Whatever you say,” he shrugs. “My flight leaves at about noon, are you gonna be good by yourself?”

 

“Yes Kev, I’m good. I promise.” Veronica chuckles. “I think I’m gonna see what Josie is up to tonight, it’ll be good to get out of the house.”

 

This is the first this month that she’s perked up, feeling a little bit happier.

 

 

x

 

Josie has plans with Reggie, but she invites her anyways saying that another friend was coming so she won’t be third wheeling. She’s supposed to meet them at their apartment a few miles away in about twenty minutes, putting the last touches to her outfit together.

 

Her hair is curled in loose ringlets and she has some ripped up jeans and a black off the shoulder top paired with some nude heels. Grabbing a little red crossbody purse, she heads out to her Uber on the street below Kevin’s apartment in Manhattan.

 

Giving the driver Josie and Reggie’s address, she applies some lip gloss and pops three advil to subdue her headache.

 

Josie greets her with a huge hug and a smile and Reggie stands beside her. Veronica is a little nervous about Reggie, she knows that he’s probably talked to Archie since they’re best friends and she feels guilty for breaking his best friends heart.

 

To her surprise he opens out his arms for a hug which she quickly accepts, squeezing around his lower back.

 

“How you holding up?” he asks her.

 

“Alright, I’ll be fine.” she softly smiles. “Don’t be too upset with me.”

 

“Upset?” Reggie raises his eyebrows. “You deserve to be happy, Lodge. I’d never take that from you, no matter what loyalty I have with Archie. Friends don’t pick sides.”

 

“Thank you,” she whispers under her breath, and it’s just what she needed to hear.

 

Josie tells her they can get going, as the friend is meeting them there and the two girls chat about everything going on with their lives on the walk to the bar. Veronica wasn’t too enthused about going out for drinks since alcohol and sickness don’t mix, but she decided she’ll just have some soda and make the most out of her night.

 

As soon as they enter the bar, Reggie points to who they’re meeting and Veronica is a little shocked at first but also excited. It’s Chuck Clayton, who she hasn’t seen in almost a year since Archie last played in Riverdale and some of the alumni came to watch.

 

The trio speed walks over to where he’s standing, and Reggie gives him some sort of hug before Veronica embraces him, jumping up to hug him lightly.

 

“V-Lo!” he somewhat yells over the loud atmosphere. “They didn’t tell me you were coming.”

 

“They didn’t tell me you were coming either, all I got was anonymous friend...” she laughs, pretending to roll her eyes at Reggie and Josie.

 

“Well we figured you wouldn’t come if we told you, Veronica,” Josie counters. “After the breakup and all.” she says quietly, but Veronica doesn’t mind, just transitions into small talk with Chuck.

 

They’re updating each other about their lives when they notice Josie and Reggie have snuck away to suck each other’s face on the dance floor, and he clears his throat awkwardly.

 

“Can I buy you a drink?” he asks, pulling her gently over to the bar.

 

“I’m not drinking tonight, but I’ll let you buy me a diet coke if you’ll let me buy you a beer.” she tells him, grin spreading across her face.

 

“Hey, if you’re not drinking, I won’t drink either.” he laughs. “No fun to be sober alone.”

 

“Let me buy you a soda then,” she pleads, pulling on the arm of his jacket.

 

“Fine- you buy me a regular coke and I’ll buy you as many diet cokes as you can drink. Deal?” Chuck asks, his eyes shining underneath the dim bar light.

 

She agrees without saying a word, sipping on the first diet coke and falling easily into conversation.

 

They talk about everything, from Veronica moving back to the city to Chuck’s new job as a financial advisor and everything between.

 

Her phone rings and she excuses herself from a table, finding a dark corner that’s secluded. She checks first to make sure no ones making out there, and it reminds her of nights in bars she didn’t know the name of, dancing with Archie until her feet were sore and her lungs burned from kissing and tequila.

 

Pushing the thoughts aside, she pulls the still buzzing phone from her small purse and reads the name, ‘Archie’. After everything going on with his shows and the fact that Chuck is watching her from across the bar, she decided she should at least answer to let him know she’s okay- she thinks she’s okay?

 

She just really wishes she was drinking tonight for some liquid courage, but sobriety must suffice as she swipes to answer.

 

“Hello,” she says dryly into the phone, hearing silence on the other end. Then his breathing picks up and it’s exactly what she remembers, deep and smooth, long breaths to fill his big lungs and she can almost imagine the rhythm of his heartbeat, pumping blood through his tall body.

 

“You answered,” he says, almost surprised, which she should’ve expected considering she’s ignored about a hundred calls or more.

 

“I did. Not sure why,” Veronica mumbles, creating an echoey sound with her acrylic nails on the back of her phone case.

 

“Did you wanna know if I was okay too? Because I couldn’t stop worrying,” he rambles, and she says a silent prayer that this won’t be a twenty minute phone call.

 

“I wanted you to know I was okay.”

 

He sighs, only that long noise as if he wanted her to not feel okay, as if he needed her to need him to be whole like he needs her.

 

“I’m glad you’re okay.” Archie finally says. “Where are you? It’s loud.”

 

She winces at the question, figuring it isn’t the best time to mention that she’s out.

 

“At the bar. The cute one on the Upper East Side with the green awnings,” she explains.

 

“Oh.” he responds, sounding hollow. “That’s the bar we were at when... never mind.”

 

She appreciates that he stopped there, not discussing the day she decided to jump all in and tell him she’d go on tour with him. That was over a year ago, she remembers.

 

“Yep,” Veronica adds awkwardly, at least half a minute of silence following after.

 

“Listen, I’m sorry if this is a bad time but since you’re on the phone...” he inhales before continuing. “Tell me you haven’t been happy for one second since you left, or that you miss me, or that you’re hurting and lonely... because I feel all of that.”

 

“Archie-“ she exhales, so many questions she doesn’t have the heart to answer as his face floods her mind, the way he looked before she walked out. The pain, the sadness, and even the anger. He should hate her.

 

“No.” he says sternly. “Don’t Archie me, don’t do this. Not after what you threw away.”

 

“I didn’t throw away anything,” she snaps back, almost yelling into the phone, still not loud enough to be heard in the bar.

 

“You’re making me feel crazy, like you weren’t my life for almost seven years and now you just wanna act like I don’t exist?” Archie says, not meaning to be spiteful but it comes out and she’s not offended- it’s justifiable.

 

Veronica can’t imagine wanting to talk to him if the roles were reversed, if suddenly he woke up one day and said to her face that he wants to stop loving her.

 

“Of course I don’t wanna act like you don’t exist, I’ve thought about you every day for these past few weeks but I need it to stop. I can’t be with you, I hate the person I’d become.” she continues, tearing up with her unused arm crossing her body.

 

“Why is that my fault?” Archie asks, voice cracking, messy because he just wants to see her face and not have to hear her voice through the phone.

 

“It’s not, it’s mine. I loved you too much, to the point where I forgot anything existed by loving you. I’ve hurt too many people, Archie- and I- I... can’t. I can’t do that.”

 

“So I’m the one who pays the price?” he asks, and she knows he’s crying by the little sniffles.

 

Archie never, ever cries. He genuinely doesn’t- she remembers when his Papa died a few years back, and she can’t even remember him crying at the funeral. It’s always his idea that he has to be this strong figure for everyone else, but she supposes he can’t keep up a front anymore.

 

“Why are you doing this?” Archie presses on after Veronica doesn’t respond.

 

“Doing what?” she asks, tugging on the sleeve of her top so that it’s long enough to wipe her eyes.

 

“Breaking both of our hearts,” he chokes out, making chills run up her spine. “Come back. Please, please come back.” Archie repeats.

 

“I’m not coming back,” she says sternly into the phone.

 

“Fuck, Veronica.” Archie is almost yelling through the phone. “Fucking come back, I love you.”

 

No, no, no, she can’t hear him talk any longer because she can’t feel that. It feels stuffy in the room and even though she’s by herself in an area of the bar she feels crowded and hot.

 

“Let me move on.” she urges with tight lips. “I don’t know how the hell I’m supposed to forget you, but I have to try. And I can’t if you won’t let me try.”

 

He hangs up without a goodbye, a little buzz signaling the end of the call and then silence fills her ears until Chuck makes his way over to her, concern practically dripping from his face.

 

“Hey, you good?” he asks. “Josie and Reggie decided to go home a little early... will you let me make sure you get home safe?”

 

She nods a little shakily but plasters a smile on her face before looping her hand through the crevice of his arm.

 

“That would be great, Chuck. Thanks.”

 

x

 

They walk back to her apartment since it’s only three blocks from the bar, making small talk and shivering a little bit. It is April, so it isn’t freezing in the city anymore, but at night there’s usually a chilly breeze.

 

They pass a soft pretzel stand, which just happen to be Veronica’s favorite.

 

“You look like your eyes are about to pop out of your head,” Chuck laughs. “Do you want a pretzel?”

 

After she says yes, they agree on splitting a cinnamon and a regular pretzel. Chuck pays, much to Veronica’s disapproval, but she thanks him.

 

Taking a bite of the cinnamon pretzel, the smile from earlier spreads back across her face. They switch off pretzels, taking bites of each and continuing their discussion from earlier.

 

A little over ten minutes later they arrive at Kevin’s apartment, standing under the little blue awning as she fishes out her key.

 

“Walk me up?” she asks with a smile that nobody could resist, and he follows her up the stairs to the door. Leaning her back against the door, he stands a good foot in front of her with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

 

“Thanks for hanging out with me tonight,” Chuck says, grinning a little bit as well.

 

“I had a really nice time,” Veronica smiles back, parting her lips a little bit and wetting them with her tongue.

 

The next thing she knows he’s leaning in a little and doing the same with his lips before pressing them against hers- warm and plump, and the kiss is intoxicatingly nice.

 

Pulling apart for a slight second, she closes her eyes and leans back into it, kissing him harder as her arms snake around his neck. He pushes her against the door but it’s comfortable, his hands resting at her waist as her tongue slips in his mouth, finding the rhythm.

 

He pulls away this time to breathe, resting his hands on the door on either side of her body to steady himself. Reaching her hand up, she swipes the lip gloss off of his lower lip with a smirk.

 

“That was-“ Chuck begins, but doesn’t have a chance to finish as Veronica runs inside, rushing to the closest bathroom and kneeling beside the toilet.

 

He follows her through the apartment to see if she’s okay, and finds her emptying the contents of her stomach into said toilet. Holding her hair, he gently rubs her back until she’s finished, and then helps her up.

 

Veronica apologizes profusely as they go into the living room, hand on his arm, and he just smiles a little and shrugs it off.

 

“This has been so weird, I feel perfectly normal but then I just get these little bursts of nausea. They’re almost always in the morning,” she explains, and Chucks eyes widen a little bit at her.

 

“But you’re not sick?” he double checks, to which she shakes her head.

 

“No. Why are you looking at me like that?” Veronica asks, chuckling slightly at his worried expression.

 

“V, I hate to be the one to ask you this...” he pauses for a moment, which upsets her.

 

“Spit it out.” she laughs harder, plopping herself down on the couch.

 

“When was the last time you had your period?” Chuck asks, and then the weight of his question hits her like an eighteen-wheeler.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song mentioned in the beginning chapter is ‘Blackout’ by Freya Ridings. And we’ve finally gotten to meet Chuck in this story and begin his little romance with Ronnie! Also, a bit of a turn there at the end which should’ve been expected by now... hope you all enjoyed!! Please comment and review this chapter.


	5. May: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

May: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Veronica doesn’t know what label to put on it, besides the fact that Chuck has been so sweet and helpful in figuring everything out. They’ve been spending quite a bit of time together since Kevin is out of town, and he’s over tonight with a bag from the pharmacy.

“You can’t block this from your mind forever, Veronica. If it’s true... it’s not just going to go away.” Chuck tries to explain, and it feels a bit like an intervention.

“I don’t- I can’t take that test.” she responds, wishing to avoid the topic completely.

“I just really think you should take it. Then you know your next steps... I get it, it’s hard. I can’t imagine being in your shoes.” Chuck shakes his head. “But you won’t be doing it alone, regardless, I’ll be here every single step of the way for whatever you need.”

She smiles, even though there’s nothing happy about this, but she just can’t help how good it makes her feel that she has someone on her side.

“No, Chuck. This isn’t your problem- if I am... pregnant,” she finally says the word, acknowledging it and it terrifies her. “It’s not for you to have to worry about. This is my mess.”

“You’re not doing it alone,” he argues.

“I’ve got Kevin, and my parents, and-“

“And me.” he finishes for her. “I care about you, I don’t care if you’re not ready to reciprocate that because of everything going on, I’ll wait if I have to. I just want you to know I’m here... I’m not going anywhere.”

“I’ll take the test,” she decides, getting up from the couch. “Because I care about you, too.” Veronica admits.

x

It feels like the longest five minutes of her entire life, with Chuck waiting outside of the bathroom as she sits on the counter, staring at the back of the pregnancy test. The timer on her phone finally goes off and with shaky hands, she picks it up and turns it around to see the results.

Positive.

Chuck can hear her sobs from the other side of the door, and knocks before rushing inside and pulling her into his arms. Rubbing her back, he just stays steady as she leans her weight into her body, cries shaking her small body as tears roll down her face. He feel like crying too, he doesn’t really know why- mainly because sadness doesn’t look good on someone with such a perfect smile.

“What am I gonna do?” Veronica chokes out, looking up to look him in the eye.

“I don’t know, V. I’ve got no clue,” he shakes his head. “But I’m here.”

He gives her a moment alone to collect herself and finds a bottle of water in Kevin’s fridge, opening it for her and just sitting with her on the couch. They’re watching some sort of reality TV show and he hears her laugh at it a little bit, making her feel like she might be better, somewhat.

“Can I get you something to eat? Or anything?” he asks, covering her with the blanket on the back of Kevin’s couch.

“Chuck,” she says, reaching out to touch his cheek with her right hand and leaving it there. “Thank you, just for being so sweet. Anyone else would run in the opposite direction.”

“Hey, I said I care about you. I meant it.” Chuck tells her, sitting back down on the couch so that they’re merely a foot apart, gazing into each other’s eyes.

“I meant it too.” Veronica murmurs before she closes the gap between their lips, taking control this time and kissing him. It feels the same as it did last week, gentle and calming and just right- amongst all the craziness in her life right now.

This is new and something that excites her, something that motivates her to stop looking around when she was the one who decided to move on. At first she felt like she was betraying Archie, because it was too hard to feel like she didn’t belong to him anymore- she’s not his girl. 

“V,” Chuck laughs, pulling away. “As much as I enjoy doing that, I think I should give you the rest of the night to figure some things out and process all of this information okay?”

“Good idea,” she nods, mentally sighing as she could’ve really used the distraction, but she walks him out anyways. “When will I see you next?”

Chuck looks like he wants to say something that he can’t get off of his chest, and then she gives him a hard stare which makes him let it out.

“I was actually gonna ask what you’re doing Saturday? I have this party at work, and I was gonna see if you wanted to come as my date. If that’s too much, or if you’re busy, it won’t hurt my-“ Chuck is rambling, way too much for her liking, so she presses a kiss to his cheek before replying.

“I’ll be there. Just text me what time you wanna pick me up, and what I should wear?” she says, smiling in a cute way, and her heart feels a little lighter. 

“Yeah,” Chuck smiles, and she can hear him let out a sigh of relief. “Call me if you need anything?” 

She nods, and watches as he heads back down to his car, grinning happily as she leans against the doorframe. Sure, it makes her nervous to be seeing someone so soon, but he’s something good in her life and she needs that right now. Closing the door behind her, she leans against it and sighs, rubbing her temples.

“Oh, Veronica,” she mumbles to herself. “You’ve really made a mess out of things.”

x

She claims this week as her ‘Get Your Life Together Week’ and it’s coming along alright. In the past few days she’s made an appointment at an OBGYN, told her parents about the pregnancy- which seemed to be pretty well received- and she’s also started to look for her own apartment in the city so she can get out of Kevin’s space. 

‘I’ll be there at 6, if you’re still interested?’ Chuck texts, and she responds with a yes and a little red heart emoji, which means more to her than it should.

She’s pretty grateful to have Chuck in her life right now, even if there’s not a label, even if things are messy and complicated.

Nervous about the night, she decided to start getting ready a little earlier so he won’t have to wait for her. It’s been a while since she’s had a new guy in her life to try and impress- and not that Chuck cares, he’s too nice, but she just has this good feeling about him.

Sorting through her clothes, she finds the dress she’s wanted to wear, a red long sleeved maxi dress that was a little summery, but still formal enough for the party, pairing it with her favorite black and gold Gucci belt and some basic black heels. It’s the first time she’s gotten pretty dressed up in well over a month, and she loosely curls her hair and puts on some red lipstick.

He shows up right on time, leaning against the doorframe when she opens it- in a white dress shirt with a grayish blue blazer and pants. 

“How are you holding up?” he asks her as they walk around town- Chuck offered to get an Uber but she enjoys walking with him- holding hands.

“I’m good, you always take my mind off of things.” she tells him honestly, and they just smile giddily and make more small talk until they reach the party.

It’s a beautifully decorated, and it’s a nice venue, swirling with people in formal outfits- it takes her back to nights in Beverly Hills, meeting celebrities and artists in elite gatherings. Chuck puts his arm around her waist and pulls her closer, making her breath even out but her heart is beating a little faster now.

“I’m gonna run to the ladies room, alright?” she asks him, and he nods as she quickly darts to the restroom. Gripping the sink, she looks at herself in the mirror- she looks good, she’s here with someone who she really cares about, but she doesn’t feel good. Shaking her hair out a little bit, she washes her hands and she feels more prepared, going out to meet Chuck with a better mindset.

The night seems to go quickly, and she’s having a great time. She’s holding onto Chuck’s arm the entire time and he buys her some non-alcoholic drinks, but he never uses the word girlfriend when introducing her- even though it feels very much like a date. The party is at some tower in the city, and they share a kiss on the balcony overlooking the water, and for a moment she forgets all of the things going wrong in her life.

“I don’t want this night to have to end,” he whispers as their foreheads are still pressed together, and she doesn’t want it to either.

“You can take me home, and we can hang out there for a little bit?” she suggests, talking almost into his mouth because their lips are touching briefly.

On the walk home, she shows him some of the places she used to go as a kid, knowing the city inside and out, and he listens carefully, even though he probably doesn’t care which she appreciates. 

It’s not that she’s expecting to sleep with him when they get home, and it’s an unspoken agreement between the both oh them- she just really enjoys his company.

He waits in the living room while she changes into something more comfortable, and they rummage through the pantry to find a snack before plopping down on the couch.

“13 Going on 30 is on?” Chuck says, as more of a question, and Veronica squeals in delight.

“Yes, oh my gosh, that was my favorite movie as a little girl.”

Her eyes almost light up watching the movie, and it takes her back to days where things were so much simpler, where her heart wasn’t breaking for some guy that she’s trying to stop thinking about.

She doesn’t know when they got so close, but now that the movie is almost over, there’s no space between them, and he’s holding her waist gently. Succumbing to the tired feeling, she rests her head on his shoulder and he seems to not react at all.

“I had a really, really good night Veronica.” Chuck smiles, once the movie is over, and she turns so that she’s now facing him, almost on his lap which is a lot for them. She’s considering scooting to be fully on top of him, feeling a little risk running through her veins, but then he’s kissing her and pulling her onto his lap, doing the work for her.

They kiss for a long time, and it’s totally consuming, turning her brain into mush enough to where neither of them hear the door unlocking and her roommate coming in, who finds them on the couch.

“Oh, my.” Kevin says, a little bit in surprise as he sees Veronica’s back to him, making out with Chuck Clayton on his couch.

“Kevin,” she groans jokingly, and turns around to greet him, but what she sees has her feeling a little dizzy and the room starts to blur a little. “Archie, what in the hell are you doing here?”

 

x

Veronica is doing her best to whisper yell at Kevin, since she doesn’t want the two boys in the living room to hear. 

“Are you serious?” she asks, and she’s horribly mad, and has a pounding headache at all of this. “You would seriously bring him here?”

 

“This is my apartment Veronica,” Kevin says, which is clearly the wrong move as Veronica pinches his arm. “And ouch.”

“Why is he even here?” Veronica says, frustrated, and embarrassed at the fact that Chuck has to witness all this go down. “And plus, you said you were in Florida meeting Scott’s parents, you little liar.” she adds, shoving a finger into his chest.

“He wanted to come and win you back, and I agreed. I thought it would be a good idea... until I find out that you have a new boyfriend you didn’t tell me about.” Kevin says, also whisper yelling now.

“First of all, he’s not my boyfriend...” she somewhat lies, even though he never officially asked her out.

“Then what would you call that?” he responds quickly.

“Unimportant... second of all, I can’t believe you would be a part of this plan when you know I don’t want to see him.” she crosses her arms, and Kevin softens his expression because he looks hurt.

“I’m sorry, Veronica. But I know deep down you still love him.”

“Of course I love him,” Veronica throws her arms down. “I love him so much, and it makes me wanna scream and it makes me wanna punch something.” she says, tears streaming down his face.

“You don’t have to hurt like this,” Kevin suggests, as if that’s an option, but they’re far past fixing now. “Are you sure you’re not using Chuck as a distraction?”

“No, Kev,” she shakes her head. “The way I feel about Chuck... it’s getting me through all of this. He’s the sweetest guy and he’s supporting me through a mess that you don’t even know about.”

Kevin’s eyes widen. “Explain.” he demands.

She’s crying harder now, just like she did when she told her parents, and it sucks that this is real, to the point that she’s telling people.

“I’m pregnant,” she whispers, staring at the tile on the kitchen floor. Kevin noticeably gasps and she tilts her head back to stop the tears, whimpering a little bit.

“Oh, Veronica,” Kevin hugs her, so tightly that it stabilizes her. “He doesn’t know, does he?”

“How am I supposed to tell him that? Like, ‘Hey, guy who I just dumped after seven years, I’m having your baby.’ This is so fucked up,” she says, and Kevin laughs but it’s not really all that funny.

“We’re gonna figure it out, you know that?” Kevin tells her, and she hums a little in response. After a few moments of composing herself, they go back to the living room where Chuck and Archie are having some sort of silent stare down.

“Chuck,” Veronica says softly. “Let me walk you out?”

He complies and she links her arm in his as she takes him to the door, kissing his lips quickly. 

“I’m sorry this turned into a mess,” she tells him, hand resting on his cheek. “Text me when you make it home?”

“Course, babe.” he says, and a blush rises to her cheeks because it’s the first time he’s called her that. “Goodnight.”

She waves before shutting the door, leaning against the locked door, and Archie is standing ten feet in front of her in the doorway to the living room.

“Shit, Archie, you scared me.” Veronica jumps a little, hand on her chest. “Can I help you?” she adds after a bit too long of him just staring at her.

“I missed you,” he finally says, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know what I expected, I just had to see you because I’ve been miserable.”

The gap closes between them and they’re pretty close, maybe a foot and a half from each other.

He doesn’t look good, admittedly- he has some scruff and his hair is a bit longer than usual. Not to mention the horribly dark circles under his eyes, and he looks thinner.

“Have you been taking care of yourself?” she asks, reaching out to touch his cheek, where the color has drained from his face.

“I mean, no. I don’t even feel anything anymore... I just feel numb.” he mumbles. “Just want you to care about me, is all.”

“I do care about you,” she says firmly. “More than you understand... but everything is a mess and I’m trying to fix it. I can’t have you hating me.” Veronica shakes a little bit.

“I don’t hate you... it’s the opposite. I love you, I know you’re sick of hearing that but it’s true.” he says, hand wrapping around the back of her neck.

She gets nauseous just at that moment, taking her hand to pull his arm away.

“I can’t, it’s too much..” she murmurs before running back down the hall to the bathroom, emptying the contents of her stomach again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Archie is back and V officially knows about the little bun in the oven... let me know what you think about this chapter. Especially the Chuck x Ronnie relationship. Just hang in there, even if it’s not your favorite, because I promise it’ll be worth it. Thank you for reading!! Please comment and give Kudos if you enjoyed it.


	6. June: Out of the Woods

June: Out of the Woods

 

That’s it, she decides, drawing open the drapes and letting the early morning light flood into the small bedroom- she will not allow herself to become stagnant and depressed in this room. There’s too many reasons not too- brunch with Josie, strolls around central park with Kevin, nightly FaceTimes with Chuck, and what’s really getting her through is the first ultrasound image she’s got tucked away in a drawer.

This isn’t about just her anymore, no, she’s responsible for another life and she’s going to make the most out of it, even if it aches every time she sees his face, or his eyes. She’s going to tell him today, because it’s not fair to keep all of this from him when she’s already made up her mind.

She’s keeping the baby, she’s going to raise this baby no matter the circumstances. In her mind, there was just never another option to even consider- and if he disagrees she can do it without him. 

“Hi,” Veronica murmurs as she enters the living area, but he must hear it because he uses his hand to stop the strumming of his guitar. 

“Hey,” he says back, looking a little surprised that she talked to him and rightfully so. It’d been almost two weeks since their moment in the entryway of Kevin’s apartment, and regardless of them both staying at his place, they’d avoided having very much contact at all.

“Can we talk?” she adds, walking to stand behind the recliner opposite of him, tapping her fingers nervously over the brown leather.

“Yeah, what’s up,” Archie responds, and she can totally tell that he’s putting on an act- trying to be nonchalant when she can hear the eager tone laying underneath his voice. She can read him well, too well, and it’s making her nervous for how this is going to go. 

“I wanted to talk, not about us. I mean about us,” she starts to contradict herself, not sure of how to explain this without just coming out and saying it. This might be the hardest thing she’s had to do in a while, much more so than telling anyone else- as much as it’s hard to swallow this baby is fifty percent his, and while she gets to make the decisions, it’s not fair to leave him out. 

“I guess I don’t understand,” he says, confused, and she’s confused too even though she knows what’s going on in the situation and he doesn’t. It’s just not fair to keep him in the dark any longer.

“I wanna preface this by saying I didn’t mean for this to happen, it just happened, and we’re two fully responsible adults. So I really don’t want you to be mad at-“ Veronica often does this, starts talking at such a rapid pace that her blood pressure must be through the roof, and he doesn’t like to see her so stressed.

“Ronnie,” he interrupts, somewhat of a chuckle escaping his lips but it’s not in a funny way. “I would never be mad at you. Especially not for something out of your control.”

There’s a few moments of silence before she just takes a shaky breath and think, now or never, and places her hands over her own temples to rub gently. Her thumbs rub just under her eyes to collect the droplets that just escaped her tear ducts.

“I’m pregnant,” she says, barely audible, but he hears her. Archie isn’t sure there was ever a time he heard something so clearly, and now his heart is beating out of his chance- unsure whether this is good for them or bad for them.

“Huh?” he asks to clarify, even though he heard the first time, and she knows that too by the way his whole face is expressing shock. Those eyes always get to her, always touch a part in her soul that nothing else can.

“Pregnant,” she manages to choke out. “It’s yours... keeping it.” 

And he’s there, he’s wrapping her up in his arms and Veronica knows he’s crying too, feeling his tears hit her shoulders and he’s trying to be steady for her. His touch feels so familiar, so warm, and it’s so natural for her head to fall in the little place between his shoulder and his neck, just for her. 

“Okay,” Archie tells her, using the back of his knuckles to rub up and down her spine, in a gentle rhythm. “It’ll be okay.”

She doesn’t believe that, it’s not possible for her to believe that when her life is the big of a mess.

“It’s not okay, it’s not just okay,” she says, palms pressing against his chest and pushing him away from her a little bit. “This is all a mess, I’ve made a mess out of things and it’s like there’s no end.”

“I know this is a tough situation,” he tells her, and she’s always amazed by his wisdom, the way he makes the best of everything. Leaning forward, she uses her sleeve to wipe the tears off of his face and he offers her a smile in return. “But all of our drama set aside, this baby was made out of love, and I can’t picture anything more beautiful than that. The circumstances are weird, yeah, I know that. It’s all very crazy right now, but you’ve gotta know that I’m here, and I don’t plan on going anywhere.”

She smiles a little bit, she can’t help it with the way he’s looking at her- like he always has. As if she’s the only thing he’s ever looked at. 

“How do you always see the good in every situation?” Veronica asks him, because she’s genuinely curious. “I don’t get it, I never have.”

“I’m not sure, Ronnie.” he chuckles, lighting up a little at the fact that he was able to make her smile. And he knows what he has to do, he has to fight for this, for the way he makes her feel- tingles in his arms and legs and butterflies in his stomach. “Are you good?” Archie follows up, helping her up from where she was sitting on the edge of the recliner. 

“I’ll be good,” Veronica tells him, brushing a curly strand behind her ear and falling into his extended arms for a hug. It feels the same as it always does. 

 

x

A girls night is precisely what she needs, laughing the entire drive to her favorite theater with Josie. Their options were a bit limited since alcohol and partying were clearly off the table, so they settled on a classic chick flick and a slumber party at Josie and Reggie’s.

As soon as they’d sat down in their seats, buckets of popcorns and cola slushees in hand, the girls quickly conversed before the previews were to start.

“Honestly, Jos, I had to see Mamma Mia, because lately I’ve been feeling a deep connection with Donna Sheridan,” Veronica giggled, rubbing her hand over her stomach, which you couldn’t notice unless you were Veronica, carefully eyeing her stomach in the mirror every morning.

“At least you know who the father of your baby is,” Josie chuckled along, making Veronica’s head tilt back in laughter.

“But I still feel like I have choices in the male department,” Veronica countered, making a concerned face towards her best friend in the dim theater light. 

“Someone still has feelings for Archie,” Josie hummed, a little smile rising to her friends cheeks. “And I’ve been seeing your Insta stories with Mr. Chuck Clayton.”

Veronica blushed a bit at the mention of her new beau, but still creased her eyebrows together in concern, “I am officially the biggest hot mess to ever walk the earth, correct?”

“I have to give you that one,” Josie sarcastically added, just as the previews started, and Veronica pinched her side.

The movie was the perfect cure to the little funk she’d been in, being able to dance in her seat and hum a little bit. She also did feel the similarity between her and Donna, and was highly considering buying a pair of dungarees at the first opportunity. 

By the time they’d reached Josie and Reggie’s shared apartment, they were still singing Abba songs at the top of their lungs, alarming Reggie.

“Hey, Ron,” he greeted her. “I talked to Archie today, I’m proud of you kiddo. And you know if you ever need anything...” Reggie started.

“I’ll let you know, Reg. For now I think you need to be reaching out to Archie as much as possible. I just dropped the biggest bomb of his life on the poor guy, and he’s already been in the dumps since he arrived back in town.” Veronica grimaced, but Reggie shook it off.

 

The girls sat on the couch to binge watch the first movie in the series, as Veronica practically inhaled bowl after bowl of pistachio ice cream. Since she was tiny she always despised that flavor, but apparently the baby wanted it, and the baby was in charge of her eating right now.

The sugar rush and jumping on the couch in their pajamas eventually led to a sugar crash, and that’s how Reggie finds them, Veronica and his girlfriend passed out on the couch with the TV still loud. Turning it off, he carried Josie back to their room before returning to settle Veronica in with some blankets.

The four of them- Archie, Veronica, Josie, and him- had all become extremely close during the college days, when Josie and Archie were always working on music together. It put Reggie in a really awkward spot after their breakup, feeling loyalty to both sides, but he’d do anything for either of them and that friendship wasn’t about to stop anytime soon.

Veronica tossed and turned in the night, waking up once and spending an hour in the pitch black just contemplating her life and what her next step was, before drifting back off. She slept soundly from then on until she heard someone up in the kitchen, apparently making coffee. When she got up, she saw Reggie slide a cup across the counter for her.

“Decaf,” he added, and only then did she take a sip. 

“Morning,” Veronica yawned, drinking the hot coffee slowly as the way to wake herself up.

“Good morning, how’d you sleep?” Reggie asked, chuckling once he realized there were unicorns on her pajamas.

“Shut up,” Veronica glared at him. “A little bit in and out of sleep, my mind won’t shut up these days.”

“Understandably,” he nodded. “You’ve got a lot going on- more than anyone else I know.”

“A lot going on,” the latina nodded. “That’s certainly a way to put it. I don’t even know how to think. What do you think?” Veronica asks him.

“About what?” Reggie responds, drinking his own coffee at a slow rate.

“About everything. Just what I’m choosing to do and all,” she asked, because she really did value Reggie’s opinion. 

“I don’t know, V. It’s not really up to me, I just want you to do what’s best for you and what makes you happy.” he told her. “If that’s Chuck, great, I support you a hundred percent. If it’s Archie... also great. But you just gotta do what you think is right, and you’ve got a whole support team- including me- to help you, yeah?” he asked her, pulling in for a hug. Reggie hadn’t meant to get so sappy, but he’d been feeling kind of protective over her, and after talking with Archie he wanted to make sure she wasn’t afraid of it anymore.

“You know what Mantle,” Veronica smiled. “I don’t appreciate you near enough.”

“No one does,” he sighed dramatically, earning a sarcastic eye roll. Veronica lets out a gentle sigh, and tips her head back, feeling the blood rush to her brain and she wakes up a little bit.

 

x

She’s dressed up in a button down top and a red skirt, hair in a high ponytail, and she feels good- her morning sickness has finally come to a stop, and she’s had a bit more energy lately. Finally Friday again, the week seemed to drag by. 

When Kevin is gone all day, it’s usually just her and Archie around unless she makes plans, and when they’re here alone he’s overly attentive.

“You need anything?” he asks, as soon as she steps into the kitchen to get a water. 

“No.” Veronica replies quickly, leaving to plop herself on the couch where she’s going to wait for Chuck to get here and pick her up. 

Kevin must be home, because she hears feet clicking against the hardwood floor before he emerges in the doorway, looking her up and down.

“I like the look, what are you and the boyfriend doing tonight?” he wiggles his eyebrows, and Archie is clearly eavesdropping which makes her feel awkward.

“First of all, he’s not my boyfriend,” Veronica makes that clear. “But, we’re going to dinner with his parents and then to see a show... Chicago maybe?” 

That’s when Archie butts in, setting the apple he was eating down on the coffee table before kicking up his feet on the other end of the couch.

“I thought you hated Broadway shows?” he asks, looking a little upset at the mention of Chuck.

“I’m giving it a try,” Veronica says, standing up to grab her purse, just in time as the doorbell rings. Swinging it open, she reveals Chuck and they greet with a kiss that’s a little too long for Archie’s liking.

“You look stunning,” Archie can hear Chuck say from the front door. “My parents are really excited to see you.”

It makes Archie’s veins want to pop, he wants to scream and he wants to punch something, but he doesn’t know what. Kevin can clearly sense his frustration, reaching out to put a hand on Archie’s shoulder which he shrugs off.

“I have to win her back,” Archie says through gritted teeth. “But I’m going to need your help.”

x

The night is nice, a little chilly in the theater, but Chuck wraps her up in his blazer on the walk to the car, for which she’s grateful.

“Mom and Dad really liked you, I think they were really shocked,” Chuck tells her, smiling proudly.

“I’m glad, but I’m sure the fondness ends the minute they find out about the baby,” Veronica tells him, and it’s been seriously concerning her.

“V,” he starts, but she cuts in before he can try to brush away her doubts.

“How do you expect them to be okay with that? And how should I have expected anyone to be okay with it?” Veronica says, little streams of tears slipping down her cheeks. “This isn’t a realistic situation, Chuck. I’m having someone else’s baby and I can’t expect you to just follow along with it.” 

He must thinks she’s crazy, because he takes her face and holds it, turning her towards him in the middle of the sidewalk, not worrying or caring about the fact that people could be watching.

“I don’t care, Veronica. We could be in any predicament and I’d be right here, fighting for us. Fighting for you,” he punctuates. “Because that’s what I care about- you. Not your past relationship with Archie, not the fact that this baby isn’t mine. I’ll do whatever I have to to keep you in my life, Veronica. Because that’s what you do when you lo-“

“Don’t,” she cuts him off, because she can’t hear those words. “That’s very sweet, but I’m not ready to hear the L-word yet.”

He seems to understand, and if he doesn’t, he bites his tongue, because he simply slips his hand into hers for the remainder of their walk, turning on the radio as soon as they get in his car. It’s a comfortable kind of quiet, some 60’s music filling up the front seat of the car and Chuck is humming along, tapping to the beat with his thumbs on the steering wheel.

Yes, she really does admire him, and this relationship has been nothing short of wonderful for her, but she doesn’t know if she can commit to loving him when she never really stopped loving someone else.

He walks her up, like always, and tells her that he’ll be seeing her, and she kisses his cheek gently, before pulling away.

“I’ll call you, m’kay?” she tells him.

“And I’ll answer, whenever.” Chuck nods, just as she slips her key in the lock and enters the apartment. Archie is there, like he always is, playing his guitar on the couch, and she doesn’t recognize the lyrics- it must be new.

She hears a few words and that’s enough to know what it’s about, but she has to pass him to get to her bedroom, so she does so quickly. 

Archie jumps a little when she walks by the chair he’s in, and she curses, apologizing.

“Sorry,” Veronica mumbles, collecting some of the music sheets he’d knocked over. 

“That’s alright,” he shoos her away, picking up the rest of the mess himself as she stands with her arms crossed. 

“I’m just gonna head to bed,” she adds, walking down the short hallways until he hears the door click and sees a light flood down the hall from under her door.

He curses himself for not stopping her then, not sitting her down and playing her a song, because that’s the only way he knows how to express his feelings. The way his fingers strum over the strings, imagining all the nights he would sing to her and the way she’d smile, the smile she only gave him. He’s been writing a lot lately, all about her and the way she makes him feel- it’s never been so easy to write before.

As he goes to knock on her door, he sees the lights shut off and hears another voice- Chuck’s through his computer speaker. They’re laughing and talking about something he doesn’t quite understand.

He gives up for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please comment and review if you liked it. Archie finally knows about the baby, and his reaction is sweet as ever. Kevin ( and Josie and Reggie ) are all Team Archie for sure- as are most of you. Also, some acknowledgement between Ronnie and Chuck. I think you all will really enjoy the next chapter!


	7. July: Another Battle Never Won

July: Another Battle Never Won

 

x

 

As a little girl, Veronica was always the types that planned everything out- the big white wedding, what she would name her children- so it’s seriously bothering her that she hasn’t even thought about names for the baby. She won’t know whether it’s a boy or a girl until next month at her 20 week appointment, but she still thinks she should come up with some ideas.

 

And considering that Archie is such a creative person, it seems like a good way to have him involved in their child’s life, coming up with names.

 

She emerges from her room with three different baby name books and her laptop perched on top, but Archie isn’t in the living room. Going to his room, she can see the door is still shut, so she knocks a few times with no response.

 

“Archie!” she shouts, before barging into his room, horrified at the mess, but nonetheless she wakes him up by throwing a pillow at him.

 

She can hear him groan between his many pillows and comforters, and then he sits up straight in his bed to see her.

 

“What are you doing in here, Veronica?” he asks, in a state of confusion and surprise because she never lays a foot in here anymore.

 

“It’s time to look at baby names,” she tells him cheerily, and he quickly hops up at the opportunity to talk about their child- he’s been thinking hopefully that the fact they’re having a child together will help in winning her back.

 

Leading him into the living room, Veronica sits on one end of the couch, her legs extended slightly, but there’s still just enough room for Archie to sit on the other side, resting his legs up on the coffee table.

 

“Okay,” he says, holding out his arms when she hands him a book. “Put me to work.”

 

“Alright, we’re searching for names... we should each pick 2 for each gender. And don’t pick anything I wouldn’t pick, obviously,” she says, rambling with the directions because she’s known to like being in control.

 

“Sure,” he says hesitantly, eyes wide as he flips through the baby name book. She must’ve already had some ideas, because within five minutes she’s asking for his decisions.

 

“C’mon Ronnie, there’s no way you’ve already picked your names. I’ve only got one idea out of the four,” he groans, and she just shakes her head disapprovingly, waiting for his suggestion with eager eyes. “Dustin, for a boy.”

 

“Not horrible,” Veronica ponders. “I like the name Jackson... ooh and maybe Noah.” she adds after flipping a couple more pages.

 

To be honest, Archie expected her to go for something mainstream, but he’s not really into that. He wants their kid to have something creative and special, because he knows their kid will be special as well.

 

“Those are pretty... um, how do I say this? Basic.” Archie grimaces, and Veronica kicks him in the ribs with her closer leg. “Hey!” he helps, holding his side.

 

“Since you think my names for boys are boring... let’s move onto girls,” she rolls her eyes, turning to the tabbed pages in her current baby name book.

 

“Didn’t get that far,” Archie mumbles, drumming on the baby name book with his fingers to an unfamiliar tune.

 

“Well, I like Lauren and Grace,” Veronica pushes, and Archie would be annoyed if he didn’t find it overwhelmingly cute how excited she was getting. I guess it was now starting to set in, that there was a real life human that the two of him made. It’s been hard to accept since they’re not together, and he feels he’s being kept at a distance, but he knows Veronica and he knows she’ll never keep him from his own child.

 

“Those would be fine for middle names... I don’t know Ronnie, I just feel like I don’t wanna give them a name that a lot of people have.” he sighs, flipping back through the book.

 

“Why, because they’re the child of a celebrity?” Veronica joked, but he appreciates it because she’s being real and that hasn’t happened in a while. “I’m sure they’d be fine with a normal name.”

 

“What about Camden, for a girl? I saw it in the boy names but I guess that one’s kind of cool.” he suggests, just throwing something out there but she turns her nose up at the idea.

 

“Not really a fan.” she shakes her head, and goes back to looking while his phone is buzzing with emails from his tour manager. He pauses to look, scrolling through lists of college dates on an upcoming performance list- and then it hits him.

 

 

“What about Berkeley?” Archie asks, and it definitely catches Veronica’s attention- he isn’t sure if it’s a good or a bad idea.

 

“You want to name our child after the University of California?” she questions, eyebrows raised in question, and he feels like he’s being scolded by his mother.

 

“It’s cute,” he shrugs, throwing his hands up in defense.

 

“I didn’t say it wasn’t cute, I think it’s a very cute idea. That’s why I asked you to help.” Veronica adds punctually.

 

“And why is that?” he asks smirking, even though he already knows.

 

“Because you’re creative. You, Archie Andrews, are a very creative person, which I will give you credit for.”

 

They’re both laughing so hard at this point that they must not hear a knock at the door, or Kevin letting someone into the apartment until none other than Chuck appears in the doorway, watching Veronica and Archie laughing in the midst of their baby name books. It’s not exactly his favorite sight to see, if he were being honest.

 

“Babe,” he awkwardly interrupts, drawing her eyes away from Archie and onto him, jumping up.

 

“Oh my gosh, Chuck, I’m so sorry. I totally forgot.”

 

How could she have been so dumb? She’d gotten so caught up in the idea of baby names, and then in the idea of Archie that she’d forgotten Chuck was picking her up at 10 so they could head to the Yankees game.

 

“That’s okay Ronnie, we can just go next-“

 

“No, no.” she denies his understanding ways, pulling his arm all the way to her room and leaving Archie feeling knocked down. “Give me ten minutes.”

 

Chuck sits on her bed and toys with the fringe of her throw blanket, looking around the room as Veronica applies her makeup and styles her hair in record time- eight and a half minutes to be exact.

 

“So what were you guys doing?” he asks, trying to mask the jealousy in his voice but to no avail.

 

“Just looking at baby names,” she replied casually, trying not to make a big deal out of the situation as she changes into some jeans and a gray sweater, adding a Yankees cap on top for some spirit.

 

She hears Chuck stifle a little laugh, and comes to sit by him on her bed, resting her legs on his lap. Reaching out to touch his cheek, she frowns.

 

“What is it?” she asks, because she can already tell he’s trying to brush the subject off.

 

“It’s just... how can I even compete with that?” he asks, exhaling and looking up at her ceiling, taking her hand from his face to hold it. “You two are playing house and I feel like I’m just trying to force myself into the situation.”

 

“No,” Veronica stutters, and she can feel the tears prickling her eyes at the fact that she’s hurting someone else close to her. “No, don’t say that. You’ve been a part of this and you’ll continue to be a part of this.” she squeezes her hand.

 

“It doesn’t feel like that though,” he argues. “You tell people I’m not your boyfriend, you won’t talk about your feelings for me, and I feel like I’m just a backup kind of guy.”

 

That makes Veronica’s heart sink a little, because every word is true. She hasn’t been giving him any kind of reassurance and she hasn’t given their relationship a title, and she knows she’d be hurt if he were in her shoes. But it’s too soon, the wounds from her past are too deep and she can’t find it in herself to give that piece of her heart away completely when it’ll always belong to someone else.

 

“You’re not a backup guy,” she urges, bringing both of their hands up into his line of vision. “You don’t have to compete for me, you’ve got me okay?”

 

He nods, but the small smile he gives doesn’t reach the corner of his eyes. She won’t fuck this up though, she can’t burn any more bridges so she leans forward to kiss him, softly at first and then all at once, pulling away and breathing heavily.

 

“I know, V.” Chuck finally tells her, holding her face in his hands this time and looking at her like she’s the best thing he’s ever seen.

 

x

 

She forgets how much fun she truly has with him until they’re back together, laughing up a storm and not caring who sees- he’s always cracking jokes and they like to observe other people as well. Sometimes she even does her best impression of other people who seem to be in a bad mood, making Chuck laugh out loud until they get some weird looks from people.

 

“Ooh, ooh, cotton candy,” she points out as they pass the many booths at the top ring of the stadium, and even though she already feels like she’s eaten her weight, she can’t resist the urge and Chuck won’t tell her no.

 

He buys it for her, even though she tries to pay like always, and she looks so cute that he can’t help but to kiss her.

 

“Hey,” she smiles, wrinkling her nose.

 

“I could taste the cotton candy,” he jokes, tickling her with the arm that’s wrapped around her waist.

 

They have really nice seats, so it’s easy to see the game and for Chuck to point out which players are which. She knows a little bit about baseball, just from cheering during games in high school, but he’s really patient in explaining it all and she thinks she’d like to come back to another game.

 

That’s her favorite part about being with Chuck- the adventure of it all. He’s introduced her to so many things she’d never done before just because she’d told herself she wasn’t interested, but they turned out to be great.

 

She never goes home from a date with Chuck without feeling content and excited, and today is no different. They hold hands all the way home and she talks excitedly about her upcoming schedule and when they’ll be able to go out next, planning a couple of dinners and maybe something else fun that they haven’t decided on yet.

 

Entering the apartment, she sets her stuff down on the little table in the doorway and leads Chuck into the kitchen so she can send him off with a water bottle.

 

“Do you want me to pick you up and take you to that appointment on Wednesday, because I can?” he asks, and Veronica winces because Archie’s sitting right there on the couch, maybe six feet away.

 

“Well, I-“

 

“Actually,” Archie interrupts. “I was gonna go, since it is my kid after all.”

 

His tone is rude, clearly, even Veronica can tell, but Chuck seems calm as Veronica places a hand on his arm.

 

“Relax, Andrews, I was just asking because she’d mentioned it and I usually take her.” Chuck says, and Veronica puts a hand on her head because she was really hoping Archie wouldn’t find that out.

 

“So what you mean to tell me is you’ve been barging into the ultrasounds for my baby?” Archie asks, this time standing up and making her way towards the kitchen. It’s not that she expects them to get physical, but Chuck takes a step and puts himself between Archie and Veronica incase it were to get violent, holding her hand as she’s behind his shoulder.

 

“Yes, I have been. Is there a problem with the fact that I didn’t want my girlfriend to have to go alone?” Chuck remarks, and it was a little bit of a bold move, clearly, judging by Archie’s face.

 

“The fact that it isn’t your kid, and yet you’re still sticking your nose in it.” the redhead scowls, and Veronica doesn’t wanna pick a side because she doesn’t even agree with the argument.

 

“Like I said, she’s my girlfriend, so I don’t care if it’s my kid or not, I’m gonna be there for her. Because that’s what you do with your girlfriend, you’re there for them.”

 

It’s a low dig, and Chuck knows it too, face turning solemn after his insult.

 

“Maybe you’re getting brave because you feel defensive, but she’s having my baby, and not yours, so I don’t give a damn what you have to say...” Archie starts, fists clenching by his sides, and Veronica notices, because she pushes in front of Chuck to stand between both boys, arms crossing as a look of disappointment clouds her face.

 

“Enough!” she says fiercely, and it’s plenty to make up for her small size. “You two are not going to sit here and fight over my baby and I, I’m not listening to it.”

 

“V-“ Chuck tries, but she shuts it down.

 

“No!” she stomps, wanting to cry right there. “I am not a prize or a possession, and this baby certainly isn’t either. Neither of you are going to the appointment, I’ll bring my mom.”

 

“That isn’t fair Ronnie,” Archie counters, and the look she gives him could really care.

 

“But it’s fair that you two are gonna have some toxic masculine fight over me? No, that isn’t how this works. I’m a human being,” she laughs a little bit, tears welling in her eyes.

 

“Sorry,” Chuck murmurs under his breath, and Archie relaxes his stance.

 

“You should go,” she tells Chuck, and then turns to Archie when he picks up the water bottle and leaves through the front door. “And you should leave me the hell alone.”

 

Storming off, she slams her bedroom door as hard as she possibly can to make a statement. It isn’t fair that they do this, that they fight and make it harder for her than it already is. But what really stings is how she keeps misjudging things and expecting everyone to just accept what her plans for life are.

 

x

 

The phone rings a few times before the person on the other line picks up, a soothing breath that she knows can calm her down.

 

“Mija,” Hermione says from the other end of the phone. “Hi darling. We miss you.”

 

“I miss you too Mom,” Veronica frowns, and she wishes her mother were here so she could cry into her lap. Being away from her Mom was hard enough on tour, and now she’s in New York, a long way from Riverdale and the comforting embrace she just needs from her mother. “I’m a mess.”

 

“You aren’t a mess honey,” her mother consoles her. “No daughter of mine could ever be. You’re just... struggling a little bit.”

 

The words make her laugh a little bit, loosening the hold on the pillow she’s been cuddling for the past few hours, soaked with mascara stained tears.

 

“What are you doing on Wednesday, August 8th? Could the town of Riverdale possibly operate without the best Mayor in the world?” Veronica asks in her most appealing voice, the one that always got her what she wanted from her parents.

 

“I could maybe escape for a day. What’s so important to interrupt my schedule?” Hermione jokes, and it’s so good to hear her mother’s voice that she feels better immediately.

 

“I have an appointment,” her daughter explains. “To see the baby, and I’d really love it if you could come.”

 

Veronica smiles, just imagining her mom getting to see her grandchild for the first time on ultrasound.

 

“I’d love to, honey,” Hermione tells her. “But why do you need me to come?”

 

She gives it a moment of silence before speaking, dreading the response, because her mother always has something to say.

 

“I don’t wanna go alone...” Veronica drags out in a whining tone.

 

“Why isn’t Archie going?” Mrs. Lodge questions, and she’s talking in that motherly tone of voice that Veronica remembers too well.

 

“Because, Archie and Chuck got into a big fight about who got to go. So I told them neither of them were going.” she explains, sighing. “And I don’t wanna go alone.”

 

“Vero,” her mother says, a little sterner of a tone. “That’s not fair and you know it.”

 

“What’s not fair?” Veronica argues, feeling much like a teenager arguing with her parents.

 

“Archie should get to go. It’s his baby, it’s both of yours to experience, and you’re excluding him.” Hermione scolds.

 

“Because he’s being immature about my relationship.” she fires back, the situation riling her up.

 

“And he has a right. You were together for a really long time, and now you’re with someone else. That’s hard for him,” the older woman explains, a tone of wisdom coating her voice.

 

“Mom,” she groans. “Please do not stick up for him.”

 

“Fine,” Hermione surrenders. “But it is his kid.”

 

“I know that!” Veronica hisses.

 

“You’re a smart girl, Veronica. So don’t let impulse cloud your judgement,” her mother says through the speaker.

 

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” the younger girl questions.

 

“I’ve gotta run, mija, but I’ll call you soon about coming down for the appointment. I’ll talk to you soon, alright?” she asks, and Veronica can hear her rifling through papers in the background.

 

“Alright, Mom, love you.”

 

She hears the click of the line and throws herself back against the pillows, her headache making it feel like her brain is pounding against her skull.

 

x

 

Waking up the next morning, she still feels like shit and she needs a way to fix it. Since alcohol is not an option, there’s only one opinion- Cherry Bombshell.

 

Dramatically entering the kitchen where Kevin and Archie are eating breakfast, she grabs an apple and turns to the boys.

 

“I’m doing something for me, like I’ve been meaning to do for a while now,” she tells them, and they look at her like she’s a little crazy. “Kevin, I need a ride to the airport at 4.” Veronica adds, and they both just nod, looking less confused.

 

Yes, she booked a last minute fuck-it-flight to Philadelphia for this afternoon to visit her friends Cheryl and Toni (after they’d agreed of course), and she couldn’t be more excited to be in the presence of people who weren’t males who currently made her wanna bash her skull in.

 

She shoves way too many clothes and toiletries in her favorite purple suitcase and even has to sit on it to zip it, but what’s the point of a girl’s trip if you aren’t overdoing everything?

 

The day seems to drag by until her and Kevin are in the car to the airport, listening to some horrible pop song that he’s blaring through the speakers. She laughs a little, and he must catch it out of the corner of his eye because he cracks a grin.

 

“It’s good to see you smile,” he tells her, and that makes her laugh again.

 

“Well, it’s good to smile. I feel like I’ve been neglecting myself and what I really want.” she admits.

 

“And what is that, exactly?” Kevin raises an inquisitive eyebrow.

 

“Just some time for me, with people who I don’t have to stress over, or worry about my relationship with. You, Cheryl, Toni, Josie, maybe Betty if she can get her head out of Archie’s ass.” Veronica laughs, and Kevin joins in.

 

“So you don’t wanna talk about your guy drama?” he asks, and she shakes her head no so hard that she’s afraid it might snap off.

 

“No.”

 

“If you ever do, talk to me, yeah?” Kevin tells her, and then they fall into the rhythm of an easy conversation, making her heart swell with joy.

 

Too soon, they arrive to the airport, and she gives Kevin a tight goodbye squeeze. She strolls through check-in feeling a lot better than she has in a while, as if the whole world were in the palm of her hand, and she’s thriving off of the energy. Taking the time on the plane ride to journal, it calms her a little bit and she feels more spiritually connected. Maybe she should start prenatal yoga or something?

 

A baby cries a few rows back and she turns to see a young mother, clearly alone, rocking the small child to calm it, and she pictures herself just like that- her and a baby, no guy in her life to help. But she forces the thought away, because this weekend isn’t about guys, or even about the baby as she selfishly decides. This is for her.

 

Finally she’s landed, and the walk to baggage claim is pretty short so she waits for her hard shelled suitcase until the unmistakable purple rolls around, rolling it off easily and heading to the coffee shop Cheryl said they’d meet her at. Her flight landed a bit early, so she waits for five minutes- practically chugging a decaffeinated vanilla latte- until she sees her couple of friends walking towards her, faster now that they see her, and the three of them collide in a squealing hug.

 

“Cher! T!” Veronica beams, jumping at the sight of her close friends who she hasn’t seen since the new year, looking better than ever.

 

“Lodge,” Toni smiles, giving her another hug that feels really supportive.

 

Cheryl is smiling the way a proud mother would, until she physically turns Veronica to the side and claps at the sight of her tiny bump.

 

“Look at my little niece or nephew!” she puts her hands over her mouth, needing a moment to take it all in.

 

“I know,” Veronica beams proudly of her baby, hands wrapping around her stomach to hold it. “I’ve never been so fulfilled.”

 

“We’re so happy for you,” Toni tells Veronica from the both of them, making Veronica feel a warm and fuzzy kind of love that she hasn’t felt in a week.

 

“How is Chuck Clayton?” Cheryl adds, smirking, and Veronica laughs.

 

“No!” she denies. “No talking about my guy drama on this girl’s weekend.”

 

“Fair,” her pink haired friend sides with her, and they fall easily into another conversation about Cheryl and Toni’s cat while they walk to the car, feeling like there was never any distance.

 

She always loved that about her relationship with them, it wasn’t always that friends could pick up right where they left off.

 

The trip is just what she needs, a magical remedy of her favorite things. They sleep in late on Saturday, and when they finally get up, Cheryl has made a home theater experience. Popcorn, candy, all kinds of treats that make Veronica hungry all of the sudden, as well as chick flick DVDS lined up for feet and feet it seems. And Cheryl and Toni’s cat, Sugar, is probably the cutest thing she’s ever seen, cuddling up with her all day like Cheryl and Toni are cuddled up on the couch.

 

From what she hears, the two girls are doing great. Cheryl is working at a local fashion agency, helping to dress models and design pieces for local shows, as well as dabbling into showcasing her drawing, which has always been a talent of hers. Toni just started at a cool feature magazine, working as a photographer, and she’s sharpening her journalism by going to local writing workshops. The girls are focusing on their careers a lot right now, but they’re really settled into their shared apartment, and have talked a little bit about marriage recently.

 

Having a long marathon, the girls stay in their pajamas and watch the movies until 5, when Toni announces they all need to get dressed. Veronica wears the cutest outfit she brought, a tight blouse that showcases her growing belly with a denim skirt and some tie-up heels.

 

The girls take her to a gourmet burger place- a breeding ground for all of Veronica’s weird pregnancy cravings- and she smiles because she’s happy to see Cheryl and Toni so happy.

 

The two girlfriends are sitting on the other side of the booth, being really open with their affection and cuddling into one another, and it makes Veronica so happy that they’ve found such good love. But it does make her feel lonely, and guilty at the same time, because she wants to be happy for them without requiring the same level of happiness for herself.

 

They stay and talk until the sun has gone down and the restaurant is practically empty, and then they all walk out with arms linked, enjoying the night air and each other’s company. She forgets how important it is to hang out with friends and not get caught up in the drama of her life, and promises Cheryl and Toni she’ll visit more.

 

Settling into the bed of the guest room with her laptop, she’s scrolling on an online shop when a thought creeps back into her head. Screw it, she decides, as she clicks on the FaceTime app to call Chuck. It’s been itching at the back of her brain, and she never has the impulse to do these kinds of things so this is a sign that she’s gotta do it.

 

He answers almost immediately, also in his bed, and she’s smiling at him admiringly because he does look as cute as she was remembering.

 

“Hi, babe,” she says gently.

 

“Hey,” he replies, smiling back through the camera, “What’s up?”

 

“Oh not much. Just finally getting to bed after a fun day.” Veronica tells him. “I miss you,” she adds after a short pause, watching his eyes brighten.

 

“I miss you too babe. I can’t wait to see you when you get back.” he tells her, and her heart isn’t slowing down. Maybe this is too much, maybe this is crazy but she feels it and she’s not willing to push someone else away because of her indecisiveness.

 

“And I love you.” she says, echoing from her computer speaker. It’s like a weight off of her chest, and then she sees how his entire face changes.

 

“Huh?” he asks, even though she said it loud and clear, and she giggles.

 

“I love you, Chuck.” she repeats, a little softer, a little slower because she wants to relish in it.

 

“I love you too.” he breathes deeply, laughing with his hand on his forehead. “I wasn’t expecting that when I saw you called.”

 

“Me neither, but I realized something when I saw your face.” she notes, and it’s been on her mind lately.

 

“What’s that?” Chuck grins.

 

“That I’ve been unfair to push you away all the time. But you’ve stayed, even when I did. You never walked away, even when every other person would’ve run away at full speed.” she says, and they both laugh.

 

“I wouldn’t walk away from you. I’d be crazy to.” he tells her, and her heart feels really really full.

 

She goes to bed that night at peace for once, finally deciding she’s made one thing right in the world. Her relationship with Archie is a completely different story, one that’s gonna take a lot of time and thought to heal, but she’s going to do it, for herself and for this baby.

 

She wants to call him and tell him that everything is going to work out, that their child will solve everything and maybe there’s a way to make this work- she really wants to, but she doesn’t know how. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update- and this time it’s finally at a length I’m content with. I’ve plotted out a lot of my chapters so I’m really happy with this story, and this one has been my favorite to write, so I hope it’s your favorite to read. I also apologize for the amount of Ronnie and Chuck love in this, I just couldn’t help myself but to create some angst. And yes, talks with Archie are coming next chapter... but I did give you all some Archie and Ronnie fluffiness in the beginning, that’s good right? I hope you all enjoyed!! If you did, please comment and let me know what you think- especially of those names. I’m pretty much already decided on one, but comment if you love or hate one of them so I can see what you think. Thank you for reading!!


	8. August: Time and Time Again

August: Time and Time Again

 

She’s ready a few minutes early, and it’s no surprise that Archie would be sitting on the couch watching ESPN- he was always here and it was very apparent he was becoming stagnant. And she can’t help but feel guilty.

 

“Going somewhere?” he asks her nonchalantly, popping one of the grapes from his bowl into his mouth, watching her carefully.

 

“Just a doctor’s appointment,” she replies awkwardly. “20 week scan. I’ll get a picture for you.”

 

She still didn’t feel guilty about not inviting him after the way he’d acted towards Chuck, but everyone had said it was wrong of her- both not inviting Archie and defending Chuck over him. Why couldn’t they understand she was just trying to stick up for her boyfriend?

 

“Is Chuck picking you up?” Archie continues, eyes diverting to the screen.

 

“Nope, my mom.” Veronica adds, voice murmuring as she checks her mother’s location on her phone- 5 minutes away.

 

“Surprising,” he says in a joking tone, but she’s not about to listen to him be pissy.

 

“I’m not in the mood for one of your rants about my boyfriend Archie, so just shut it down right now.” Veronica warns him, eyes shooting glares that go unnoticed.

 

“Hm...” he ponders for a moment, turning back to face her. “I don’t understand how I’m the guilty one in the situation when you’re quite literally kicking me out of my own baby’s life.”

 

Veronica grits her teeth as the insult hits her right in the heart.

 

“That is not what I’m doing.” she shoots back angrily, arms crossing.

 

“Bullshit,” he replies, rolling his eyes. “You threw away 7 years of your life just to hookup with Chuck Clayton, and you managed to keep me from getting to take part in my kids life. Obviously whatever plan you had backfired when you found out you were pregnant,” Archie said coldly, concentrating his face so he didn’t look overly upset. She can’t help but tear up a little bit at his words, because she sounds like a monster.

 

“Don’t, you know what my intentions were when I left,” Veronica whines, gaining no sympathy from Archie.

 

“You said you were leaving to focus on yourself, and then less than a month after we broke up I find you making out with Chuck Clayton on Kevin’s couch. Isn’t that a little shady to you?” he asks, hurt coating his words.

 

“I didn’t mean for me and Chuck to happen, it was just sort of a distraction and-“

 

“A distraction?” he cuts her off, chuckling. “That’s just rich. Do you know how much it hurts me to see you with someone else? To see you stand there and tell him you love him, like you were just telling me a few months ago?” She feels like a child being scolded, questions pressuring her. “This is not a game, Veronica, you don’t just get to play with peoples hearts until you’re ready to move on- and now there is a baby involved and I’ll be damned if Chuck replaces me for that too.”

 

The tears are clouding her vision, but she sees cheers streaming down his face as well and she feels sickeningly guilty- she did all of those things and she didn’t realize it, couldn’t admit it because she was so focused. She just wanted to run, and ran into even more problems.

 

“I didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” Veronica says shakily, trying to reach out for Archie’s hand across the couch. He pulls away quickly.

 

“You told Chuck you loved him. We’re having a baby... and you expect this to just work. In all honesty, I don’t understand your relationship with Chuck at all. But there’s going to be another human being involved in this in four months, and you haven’t even thought about the arrangements of it all,” he tells her dry, words coming off his tongue quicker than she expected.

 

“Well, of course I’ve thought about my baby.” she stutters, knowing immediately her choice of words is wrong by the look in Archie’s eyes- it’s their baby, not just hers.

 

“I don’t think you have,” he argues, and secretly he’s right but she can’t admit that now.

 

“I’m going to figure everything out, okay? It’s all going-“ she’s cut off by the doorbell ringing.

 

“That must be your mom.” Archie responds, turning up the TV volume and completely ignoring her.

 

x

 

She cries in the car to her mother, but she’s too ashamed to explain what she’s done- to herself, to this baby, to Chuck, Archie, everyone he’s either already hurt or is going to have to hurt. It’s no longer at a point where she can ignore the truth and pretend like everything is fine- it absolutely isn’t. And she can’t face Archie because he makes her feel things that she’s trying to avoid.

 

By the time they’re inside, she’s composed herself fully and she goes to the front desk feeling nervous.

 

“Veronica Lodge,” she tells the receptionist, watching the woman type away on the keyboard.

 

“Do you have a guest today, Ms. Lodge?” the lady follows up.

 

“Yes,” Veronica responds, pulling out her insurance card for the lady to enter.

 

“The father?” she continues, which is asked every appointment, but today it elicits an unexpected reaction. She feels sick to her stomach, but mostly she just really wishes he was here.

 

“No, ma’am,” Veronica finally says after the receptionist stares her down for a few moments. “My mother.”

 

She looks back at her mother, always an image of class in her pantsuit and heels, fingering over a few medical pamphlets in the lobby, smiling back at her daughter for reassurance.

 

A nurse leads them back into Veronica’s usual room, getting her into a gown and onto the bed where she covers her lower parts with a sheet.

 

Veronica picks at the paper on the exam table while waiting for the doctor, only halfway listening to her mother rant about her job. Dr. Stevenson comes in a moment later with her clipboard perched on her clip, clearly in a better mood than her patient.

 

“Hello again, Veronica,” she smiles at the expectant mother, while shaking Hermione’s hand and introducing herself. “Today is your anomaly scan, where we get a good look at the baby, and we can also find out the gender if you’d like.”

 

Veronica nods a bit, still feeling tired from the morning but doing her best to be excited- she gets to see her baby today which always makes her feel better. The doctor fills out some basic charts, and then it’s finally time for the scan.

 

She applies the cool gel to Veronica’s rounded belly, moving the wand around until the sound of the baby’s heartbeat fills the room.

 

“Strong heartbeat, they look perfect. Measuring to be average size or a little bit bigger,” Dr. Stevenson notes, typing that on Veronica’s charts. “Are you ready to know the baby’s sex?” she asks.

 

“Yes,” Veronica replies, heart rate accelerating as the doctor moves the wand around, finding what she’s looking for as she turns to Veronica.

 

“It looks like you are having a little girl,” she tells her, “Congratulations.”

 

Hermione squeezes her daughters hand, watching as Veronica’s face spreads in a smile, a few happy tears spilling out of her eyes. Secretly, she wanted a daughter, because she would’ve had no idea what to do with a boy.

 

She just wishes Archie were here to get to see their baby, but she did that to herself. Pulling out her phone, she types a quick message to the contact that she never bothered to remove the heart emojis from.

 

‘It’s a healthy baby girl.’ she sends to him, and watching as the message turns from Delivered to Read with no response. Pushing away the sad feeling that gives her, she locks her phone and puts it back in her purse while the doctor wraps things up wipes her stomach, letting her change back into her clothes.

 

Hermione must notice something off about Veronica, because she puts a reassuring hand on her daughters shoulder.

 

“Is everything alright?” she asks Veronica, watching the girls face completely fall.

 

“He didn’t even respond Mom,” Veronica sighs, feeling more tears come on. “I told him that he’s having a daughter and all he did was read the stupid text.” she complains. But she doesn’t have a right, she decides. It was her choice to push him away and she’s going to have to face the consequences like an adult.

 

“Maybe you should talk to him?” Hermione suggests.

 

But she won’t. She’ll never face the reality of it, she’ll never accept that she ruined that relationship, and she’s going to continue to push it away.

 

x

 

Not feeling like going home, she texts Chuck to see where the spare key to his place is. Finding it under the mat, she slips inside his apartment and throws herself onto the couch, feeling sleep take over her body almost instantaneously. The baby doesn’t always let her sleep, so she takes every opportunity.

 

It’s a peaceful nap until 5:30 when Chuck gets home, hearing the rustling of keys and then she feels lips on her forehead, not feeling as comfortable as they once did.

 

“Hi, babe,” he says, when he sees the whites of her eyes.

 

“Hey,” Veronica smiles back, reciprocating the peck on her lips that he initiates, kissing him gently as she draws her knees into her chest.

 

“How was the appointment?” he asks, as he’s in and out of his room changing from his work clothes.

 

“Good,” she replies somewhat absentmindedly, still hung up on Archie’s reaction. “The baby is perfectly healthy. It’s a girl.” she adds, and Chuck smiles really wide.

 

“Wow,” Chuck says, hugging her tightly, and she buries her face into his shoulder. “Congratulations, V.”

 

They stay in for the night and he offers to take her home so she can get some stuff, but it would look even worse if she packed a bag to take to her boyfriends, so she just decides she’ll borrow some of Chucks things until the morning when she’ll go home and get ready.

 

Josie had insisted on throwing a gender reveal party, and a lot of their friends were even flying in for the occasion, so it’s not like she could say no.

 

They go to sleep pretty early for her, and they only sleep in the same bed, they don’t do anything. And the barely even touch, maybe just brushing against one another, but it’s not at all what she’s used to when it comes to sharing a bed. She’s glad, however, because she doesn’t know if she’d enjoy Chuck invading her personal space.

 

It’s horrible that she feels this way about her own boyfriend, but she can’t help it.

 

The night passes by quickly, but as soon as she’s awake she asks Chuck to take her home, not wanting to spend another moment of guilt wishing she could feel the way about him that she claims she does.

 

Slipping into Kevin’s apartment, she groans when both Archie and Kevin are sitting at the table, looking right at her. They don’t even speak to her though, watching as she avoids their gaze all the way to her bedroom, blaring music to distract herself as she gets ready.

 

She swears Kevin looked disappointed and she couldn’t really read the look on Archie’s face other than the fact that it wasn’t a pleasant one. Picking out one of her many black dresses, one that particularly accentuates her baby bump.

 

Standing sideways in the mirror, she eyes her figure, the curve that begins at her ribs- her daughter, and she’s reminded that no matter what she’s got her little girl.

 

After finishing her hair and makeup, she steps out to where Kevin and Archie are both waiting on her.

 

“There’s the woman of the hour,” Kevin jokes, wrapping her in a comforting hug that she desperately needs. They ride together and she chats with Kevin just about little things they haven’t talked about in a while, and when she laughs out loud about something Kevin says, she sees Archie grinning in the rear view mirror. Maybe this was all simpler than intended.

 

x

 

“V!!!” she hears someone scream from Josies entryway as she’s meeting another guest, one of Archie and Josie’s musician friends, but she politely pulls away from the conversation to see who it is- she would recognize that blonde ponytail from miles away.

 

“B, oh my god,” she exhales as soon as her friend hugs her, hands then roaming to her protruding belly and she swears she sees a few tears in her friends eyes. “I’ve missed you so much.”

 

“I’ve missed you too V, I can’t believe I haven’t even seen you since the baby and everything,” Betty gestures to her swollen belly, still an utter look of shock on her face.

 

“Halfway there,” Veronica tells her, smiling proudly. “I promise I’ll come down to visit before she’s born.”

 

“Jug wanted me to tell you again how sorry he is, he just got caught up in some work with the publishing company and-“

 

“It’s okay B,” Veronica reassured her friend. “I know he tried his best to be here. If you’re gonna apologize to anyone, I suggest it be Archie.” she said, motioning to the red head who was standing by his lonesome, watching the two girls with longing eyes. Betty leaves her best girls side to chat with Archie and Veronica moves over to Chuck, who just arrived with a huge present in his hands.

 

“Babe?” she chuckles, kissing his cheek and helping him to put the present down.

 

“Hi,” he greets her with a hug and not a kiss, and she realizes he’s trying not to be too lovey dovey when all of these people are around- people who would much rather it be Archie and Veronica.

 

“I’m glad you’re here,” she says fondly, squeezing his hand for some assurance.

 

“I wouldn’t miss it for-“ he’s interrupted by Betty waltzing back over.

 

“Chuck,” the blonde says through gritted teeth, faking a smile as she extends her hand for a shake. They exchange greetings.

 

“Betty, hey,” Chuck tries to start a conversation, but she just pulls Veronica over to a corner of a room, leaving Chuck to watch.

 

“Is there something you want to tell me?” Betty asks inquisitively, eyes burning a hole in Veronica’s skin.

 

“That I’m dating Chuck?” Veronica says quietly, watching Betty’s eyes drop in disappointment.

 

“What has gotten into you, Veronica?” her friend asks sourly, looking like she’s about to pop a vein in her forehead.

 

“Oh my god, you sound like Archie,” Veronica groans. “Do not tell me how to live my life.” she adds, pleading eyes urging Betty to drop the subject.

 

“I can’t just let this go, Veronica. First you break up with Archie to ‘figure out your life’ and then you end up just getting with a different guy. What was the point of that?,” Betty questions, and Veronica shakes her head at the feeling of being interrogated. “If you really loved Archie, you wouldn’t have done that.”

 

“Of course I love Archie,” Veronica snaps. “I always did, and you can’t take that away from me no matter what you say.” she says, feeling tears prickle the corner of her eyes. Several people are watching them now, and Veronica can feel embarrassment searing her cheeks. “If you’ll excuse me, I have other people to talk to.”

 

She hates the way that Betty is right, that Archie is right too and everyone else who supports Archie in this, because she was wrong. And she would do anything if she could turn back time and could fix things, if she could’ve stayed and then she’d be somewhere completely else.

 

It’s impossible to stand the stares, the people watching her, so she does the only thing she’s ever been good at and she leaves, running out of the door faster than anyone could catch her, leaning her head against the elevator wall as the door shuts, tears slipping out as she realizes what a mess she made. Reaching the bottom floor, she steps out of the elevator trying to keep it together.

 

Someone’s coming out of the stairway, but her vision is foggy and she can’t see the person who grabs her arm, pulling her towards team. But she really could care less who it is- burying her nose in their chest and clinging onto their arm- until she realizes it’s Archie.

 

He smells just like he always has, her favorite cologne and his shirt feels soft against her cheek as he holds her, swaying a little to calm her nerves.

 

“It’s okay, Ronnie,” he whispers against the top of her head, resting his chin there, and she’s breathing to the rhythm of his heartbeat, necessary right now.

 

“How is anything okay? I’ve wrecked everything, and I keep doing it,” she sobs, arms reaching to link around his back, snuggling closer to him because this is the one place she doesn’t feel like running from. “I hurt you, you shouldn’t even want to look at me let alone help me.”

 

“I would do anything for you,” Archie says, making her heart hurt even more. How could she have done all of this to him, when all he ever did was love her?

 

“I don’t deserve that,” she huffs into his collar, dropping her head to his shoulder and looking out into the busy street, cars rushing by. Her bump is brushing up against Archie’s chest and it just feels so right to be here with him, with their little girl between them, but it isn’t like that.

 

“You deserve whatever you’ll allow yourself to deserve.” Archie comforts her, hushing her cries and just holding her. After at least five minutes of them just standing there, he breaks the silence, “Do you wanna go back up to your party?” he asks her, holding her face up with his thumb.

 

_No_ , she wants to say, _I just want you to hold me like this for the rest of forever._

 

“Sure.” she decides on, following his lead back upstairs.

 

The party is still going on as if nothing happened, Josie handing out champagne glasses of lemonade and guests mingling with each other, congratulating Veronica on the baby. Chuck is with Reggie right now, and she really doesn’t have the energy to talk to him today, so she sticks to herself until Cheryl and Toni force her to interact, getting into the swing of the little baby games they’d helped Josie set up.

 

Josie announces that its time for everyone to make their final gender predictions, by writing their name on either side of a sign. Boy has far more names, including Cheryl and Toni, but she smiles when Kevin writes his name in big print under the girl sign- then he turns to smile and give her a thumbs- up and she’s reminded for the second time today that she does have people supporting her.

 

“Alright,” Veronica beams, pulling Archie’s arm so he’s standing next to her in front of all of the guests. Josie had planned the reveal, dozens of cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery with the colored frosting inside, so the guests could bite it to reveal the gender. “On my count.”

 

She counts backwards from three and then watches happily, as people see the pink icing inside, Reggie almost tackling her with a hug.

 

“Lodge, oh my god,” he said happily, wrapping her in a tight hug. “I’m having a niece.”

 

Him and Archie share a weird sort of manly hug, while Cheryl and Toni and Josie all pull her into a group hug, Kevin joining in. She sees Betty standing off to the side and holds out her hand.

 

“C’mere, Coops. You’re the hug queen.” Veronica laughs, pulling her best friend into her chest as well as she can with her bump and all.

 

“I support you, Veronica,” Betty tells her apologetically. “No matter if I don’t agree with what you’re doing, I’m here for you.”

 

It feels good to hear, and she needs about all the support she can get, because she’s balancing on the edge of something so terrifying that she won’t even admit it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update, who am I? But really, I won’t ever update that close together again, just think of Thursday’s as a bonus chapter and of this as your regular update... What do we think of Ronnie’s realizations in this chapter? Also how do we feel about sweet little Archie and Kev and Reggie? I apologize for making Betty kinda a bitch, I needed someone to do it and this will continue a bit. I hope you all enjoyed this one. Please leave your Kudos and a comment telling me what you thought and what you wanna see.


	9. September: Maybe It Was All Wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song mentioned in this chapter is 'Perfectly Wrong' by Shawn Mendes

September: Maybe It Was All Wrong

 

x

 

She doesn’t like the feeling of the scratchy sheets that are covering her, or the ceiling fan blowing, or maybe it’s just the fact that she doesn’t want to be here. There’s this overwhelming sense of guilt though, and she doesn’t have it in her right now to tell Chuck how she really feels- that she can’t be with him because everything in her brain is telling her the opposite. 

 

The relationship no longer feels comfortable for her, it’s more of a stressor now which can’t be good for the baby, but Veronica has never been the best at handling her emotions. 

 

“Morning,” Chuck mumbles, leaning in with his morning breath for a kiss as she pulls away naturally. It never bothered her to kiss Archie before he brushed his teeth- in fact, they’d lay in bed for a while and do nothing besides kiss- but she can’t bring herself to kiss Chuck right now. 

 

She sits and slowly drains a cup of tea as Chuck gets ready for work, watching whatever news channel that was on without really focusing. 

 

“What are you doing today?” Chuck asks as he comes out of his room, adjusting his tie. 

 

“Crib shopping,” she shrugs, joking an excited face and then rolling her eyes. The thought of walking around all day doesn’t exactly excite her- her feet are swollen, her back hurts, and she swears the baby has made her lungs smaller. 

 

“Fun,” he attempts, but she doesn’t appreciate his pretend excitement. “With who?” Chuck continues, pouring coffee into a to-go cup. “Cause if you’re going alone, maybe we could go after I’m done with work instead.”

 

It’s the first time Chuck has mentioned actually being involved with the baby, and it’s not that he’s overstepping his bounds (it’s just shopping after all), but she feels slightly uncomfortable. He might be her boyfriend, but it isn’t his baby and she’s worried that she’s giving him that kind of impression. 

 

“Uh, Archie, actually,” she lies, even though she’s specifically planned to go with Josie today while the young artist has a day free. The look she catches on his face is more surprise and less jealousy, but she wouldn’t have cared either way because maybe that would be easier to cut ties. 

 

“Cool. I’m glad you guys are being civil.” he smiles, and she doesn’t have it in her to smile back. She just sits and picks on the threads of the blanket draped over the back of the couch. 

 

“Yep. Civil,” Veronica repeats, to convince him and maybe herself. She wants to be more than civil with Archie, she wants him to be the person she wakes up next to in the morning and the one she’s watching while she sips her coffee. 

 

There’s so many thing Archie knows about her that Chuck never would- that she takes a lot of time to wake up and likes to cuddle in the morning, a tangle of sheets. That as soon as she does get out of bed, she wants to open up all the blinds and let the light stream in, so she can begin her slow morning with a cup of coffee. She wants to see Archie across from her, strumming an early morning tune on his guitar, her name rolling off of his lips. 

 

x

 

“Veronica?” he mumbles after the third ring, pulling the sheets over his face to try to block out the morning.

 

“Hi,” she says cheerily on the other line, and it’s only been three days since he saw her last at Kevin’s apartment, but he misses the sound of her voice and just misses her really. 

 

“You’re up early,” Archie comments, because he knows she never likes to wake up before 9. “Is everything okay?”

 

There’s no situation, not even breaking up, where he wouldn’t be protective over her. Especially now with the baby, he’s even more worried. 

 

“I’m fine, Archie,” Veronica giggles a little bit, in the way that was only for them. He can’t help but to laugh as well, just completely mesmerized by the sound of her voice. “Why are you laughing?” she whines, and he pictures her pouting. 

 

“Just cause it’s you.” That makes it awkward, but he doesn’t really care. She knows where he’s at, at least he hopes she does. 

 

“Listen...” she breaks the silence, and he’s sitting fully up in his bed, listening like he never has before. “I need you to come crib shopping with Josie and I today. I’ll pick you up.”

 

“Okay, sure,” he says too quickly, cheeks flushing in embarrassment even though she can’t see him. It doesn’t matter to him that he has a meeting with his manager in a few hours, or that he has so much to do today, he’s gonna be there because he can’t pass up the opportunity to spend time with her- he’ll just reschedule those things.

 

“Thanks, you’re the best.”

 

Archie wishes more than anything that she could’ve thought that five months ago when she walked out, and made him feel like he was never and would never be enough for her on any scale. 

 

He’s glad that he showered the night before, only having time to throw on dark jeans a gray v-neck shirt before he hears her heels clicking down the hall. With a quick knock on his door, she enters without a response and plops herself down on the end of the bed. 

 

“I don’t like to be kept waiting,” she says, in the sassy tone she always liked to use because he’s rendered defenseless around her- he’d never argue. 

 

“C’mon Ronnie,” he grins to himself, but she catches it from the mirror on his dresser. “Do you know how many times I’ve waited on you in my life?”

 

“Yes, but you’re supposed to wait on me. Not the other way around,” she teases, getting up to poke his side. The contact is a little surprising, but he doesn’t say anything because he doesn’t want her to think it’s not okay. 

 

She all but drags Archie out of the room, pulling him through the apartment by his arm as if she was strong enough to move his body without him complying, but he lets her have this one. 

 

x

 

They meet Josie at some chic baby store in Williamsburg, browsing aisles upon aisles of so much pink that even Veronica is overwhelmed.

 

“If your baby isn’t the most fashionable baby in history, I will be facing utter betrayal.” Josie jokes, making both Archie and Veronica laugh. 

 

“Well, she won’t be unless Ronnie chooses a crib for her,” Archie adds in, this time making Josie laugh as Veronica crosses her arms and huffs. The three of them make their way back to the back of the store, where the selection of cribs is set up.

 

Veronica has already done her research online to see what cribs are safest and most comfortable for the baby, but now that she’s seeing them in person she can easily narrow it down to a few options. There’s a modern looking one, white wood with a simple shape and lots of adjustability for growing. 

 

“This one is perfect,” she whispers, almost wanting to tear up at the thought of placing her baby in a crib. It’s one of those moments that hits her, that in not too long she’ll have a real life daughter to snuggle and kiss and protect- nothing could seem better. 

 

Her and Archie had talked about having kids, but they weren’t anywhere near that stage yet. Maybe the timing was a good thing though, because Veronica feels a strength she’s never known. 

 

“Is this the one you like the best?” Archie asks coming up behind her, standing next to him. She also imagines him standing next to her as she rocks their baby, maybe some sort of reality where they get to do this together. And she wants that more than anything. 

 

“Yeah. Do you like it?” Veronica asks absentmindedly, shaking out of her trance to face him, seeing a light smile tugging at his lips.

 

“ ‘Course,” he shrugs. “As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.” 

 

But she isn’t happy, she just doesn’t have the words to express what she wants and wishes it would all just fall into place for her.

 

Archie pays for the crib (along with all of the other things Veronica picked out), after winning the argument with Veronica of who would pay- the least he can do is pay for everything to do with the baby. He’s got the money now, and he knows she doesn’t work and doesn’t want her to use her parents money for their baby. 

 

Josie has to go to a client meeting for a new demo she’s helping someone record, so Archie and Veronica decide to grab lunch before heading home. He drives them to a little restaurant with the red umbrellas that Veronica always liked going to on lunch dates, when he could squeeze her in before jam packed writing sessions- when things were simpler.

 

She picks a table outside, secluded- and puts on the big sunglasses she finds in his car to hide from the possibility of any paparazzi photographing them together- while he goes to get their food. There’s no need to ask what she wants because he’s memorized her order at almost every place they went to regularly, especially here.

 

He comes back with their food, two salads and an extra plate with a croissant and cinnamon butter.

 

Putting their salads in front of each of them, he hands her the extra pastry plate.

 

“I remember you said last week that you’d been craving one of their croissants,” Archie tells her, blushing at the wide smile she’s giving him. It’s cute to her that he listened to even the tiny little mention of a treat she’d been craving. 

 

They manage to make it through lunch without being seen by paparazzi and fans, driving back to Kevin’s where he’s already home. 

 

“Hey, Kev,” Veronica says when she enters, nearly falling onto the couch she’s so tired, taking her booties off to relax her swollen feet. Archie carries the bags inside and places them on the table, sitting himself on the opposite end of the couch. 

 

“Ooh, now that V is home, we can watch that DVD Betty sent us!” Kevin excitedly hopped up from his place on the recliner, rushing to his room to grab a clear box and return.

 

“What is he talking about?” Veronica whisper yells to Archie, who chuckles. 

 

“Betty sent Kevin some DVD for all of us to watch,” Archie rolls his eyes, as Kevin excitedly pops in the disc and presses play on the remote. 

 

“Should I make popcorn?” Kevin asks them, his whole face overtaken by a smile. 

 

“No,” Archie and Veronica both groan at the same time. He seems to get the message and sits down as the picture slideshow starts, one of Archie’s songs playing lightly in the background.

 

She can tell quickly that it’s a collection of photos from high school, sleepovers with Betty and Kevin, hanging out with Polly’s babies, friday night football games in Archie’s arms in a booth at pops. The memories are so vivid, from when her biggest worries were matching Archie’s tie to her dress for junior prom. 

 

There’s a photo of her and Cheryl posing at a pool party, Reggie in the back chugging a cup of jungle juice. So many memories that she feels transported back to Riverdale, the little town that gave her everything she’d never had. Days at Sweetwater river, playing with Vegas in the Andrews’ backyard, driving around town with Betty and Jug in the passenger seat of Archie’s old beat up car. 

 

Hopping up, she pulls Kevin and Archie into a hug, feeling extremely hormonal thanks to pregnancy.

 

“That was so beautiful,” she sniffles, seeing Archie smile lightly before releasing his hug a few moments after Kevin.

 

“Okay, Mom, lets get you a tissue,” Kevin laughs. The video leads them to dig through old yearbooks, remembering all the wild days from high school. 

 

Veronica is sleepy after the long day, deciding to retreat to bed at only eight, the boys wishing her goodnight as she shuts the door softly. Collapsing on her bed after removing her makeup and brushing her teeth, she remembers she’s still fully dressed. All of her pajamas are still at Chucks, so she settles for a sports bra and some flannel shorts, until she spots a bit of gray fabric peeking out from her drawer.

 

Tugging on it, what’s left in her hands is Archie’s favorite Van Halen shirt, the color worn out and faded. This use to be her favorite to slip on in the mornings, only for him to take it off again. Before wearing it, she’d always make him wear it first so it would smell like him, a hint of spice but still fresh, and so she slips it on because she can’t help herself. 

 

The shirt shows off her baby bump nicely, hanging down past her underwear a bit, and she can’t help but wonder what Archie would’ve said if he’d seen her in this- it’s wrong of her to think that when she has a boyfriend, she knows. 

 

Laying down, she snuggles into her pillow and awaits sleep, liking the feeling of the soft cotton against her skin. 

 

x

 

“We should go,” Chuck says, when Veronica tells him that Archie’s playing a show at The Assembly. It’s the bar where she and Chuck reconnected this spring, so she assumes that’s why he wants to go. 

 

“No,” Veronica says, almost spitting out her drink at the suggestion, powering her phone off as her acrylic nails tap on the table. 

 

“You should be a supportive friend,” Chuck teases, but Veronica doesn’t like it one bit. Of course she wants to support him, that’s not why at all.

 

“I don’t wanna go, Chuck,” she whines, picking his hand from its place at her waist and watching it swing back down to her side.

 

“C’mon, it’s Friday night and we have no plans. This will be perfect.” 

 

Sure, she thinks, just perfect to go watch her ex and her baby daddy sing songs that are undoubtedly about her, while her current boyfriend sits next to her. 

 

“Fine.” Veronica huffs, not in the mood to fight with Chuck on it, so they order an Uber and make it to the venue just on time.

 

The bar is crowded and a little hot and she sees Archie on the stage, warming up and greeting fans. He catches her eye and waves happily, and she savors the moment as best she can. 

 

Her denim dress feels a little tight around her neck, but she knows it’s just the realizations of everything hitting her at once. She wishes more than anything she was backstage, kissing him in the way she always did before wishing him luck. 

 

Chuck sits to her left, arm wrapped around her behind her chair as Archie begins his set, starting with the songs she knows every little word and nuance to. His voice is beautiful, it always is, and his hands seem like they were made to strum a guitar. 

 

She always liked his hair like that, messy but still looking good as he sang on the stage. It takes her back to this very same bar, a year ago when she made a choice to be with him. 

 

_The applause filled the bar as he made his way backstage to her, her skin glowing in the dim light seeping in through the stage curtains._

 

_“Hey,” he smiled, taking her into his arms. “Did you like the show?”_

 

_“I wanna go with you,” Veronica said loudly over the noise backstage._

 

_“Huh?” Archie asked, even though he didn’t need her to repeat what she’d said- he’d been hoping for her to say that for a long time coming._

 

_“I’m going with you,” she repeated. “On your tour. I don’t want us to have to do long distance.”_

 

_“But, Ronnie. It’s a long time,” he explained, not wanting to force her into anything._

 

_“Over a year, I know. But just imagine all the time we can spend together,” Veronica beamed, her arms hanging around his neck._

 

_“What about your internship?” Archie questioned, knowing she’d had a whole plan set up for a career that she was ready to give up just for him._

 

_“I’ll tell them I don’t want it anymore.” she said surely, because she knew she wanted him even more than that._

 

_“I love you,” he told her, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead just as the stage lights went completely out._

 

 

She snaps out of it, seeing the lights are very much still on, shining blue. The chords in the intro to this song are ones she doesn’t recognize, and when he gets into the words, she knows it’s a new song.

 

About her. The first verse slightly resembles it, but the chorus strikes her as words describing their relationship. And then the bridge comes and she could summarize the past year as exactly that.

 

_Oh, and why I can't quit_

_When you break my heart open_

_I need you more than I know_

_Oh, and I can't resist when you're up against my skin_

_I never wanna let you go_

 

 

It’s all too much, to look into those sparkling brown eyes and watch the pain on his face as he sings about her breaking his heart- she did that, she ruined that, the best person she’d ever known and she wants it all back more than anything.

 

She just wants him back.

 

Chuck is watching her, seeing how her eyes are drawn to him and they don’t move, like a magnetic gaze. 

 

“You love him,” Chuck says to her, so surely. What point is there to argue?

x

 

The air is chilly outside for August as she stands under the street sign, lights still on in the city that never sleeps. She’s watching someone she thought she knew so well come to a breaking point, because of her. Everything these days is because of her.

 

“What are we doing?” Chuck asks softly, not raising his voice even an octave. “What am I to you?”

 

“I don’t know,” she mumbles, a slight whimper coming out in her voice. And she feels like crying, screaming too or maybe just losing it because she’s on the verge- every single bit of guilt and doubt from these past months has built up in a dam and now it’s overflowing. 

 

“I see the way you look at him,” he says, sighing. “I know what it feels like to be in love, too. And I would never keep you from that.”

 

She reaches out to touch his cheek, feeling the sting too because his heart won’t be the only one broken tonight. A part of her had loved him deeply, a twisted part of her that needed something after she left what she’d always known.

 

“I care about you, you know that?” Veronica asks, because she needs to make sure. For once she’s going to be sure about something.

 

“I care about you too,” he nods. “Too much to go on with this. But I’d never regret what I had with you.”

 

“Me either,” Veronica says, and she’s pretty sure she’s not lying either. Sure, she wishes more than anything she never would’ve left Archie but maybe being with Chuck taught her a lot about how much she does love Archie. “Are you okay?” 

 

His breath catches for a moment before he shakes it out, “I’ll be okay.” Chuck says steadily, and she wonders if she’ll be okay too. 

 

What if this was all for nothing? What if she ruined any chance of a life with Archie after she walked out, seeing his face and knowing he was broken, but she was too and it seemed to be the way to fix it.

 

There hasn’t been a day- a minute, really- where she doesn’t picture his face, and it hurts. 

 

“I’m sorry,” she sniffles, and he hugs her as the tears roll down, unable to stop it. 

 

“Don’t be,” Chuck shakes his head at her, speaking gently and reminding him of all the ways she’s been lucky in this life. “You and Andrews deserve each other.” 

 

Part of her believes that, or at least really wants to. He leaves her on the street corner, her coat draped in her arms as he crosses the street, walking away from her and the mess she’s caused. 

 

x

 

The words loop over and over in her mind, she can hear the pain in his voice as he sang about her and their broken relationship that she was trying to salvage before it was too late. All she really knows is that she won’t shut him out again. 

 

_‘I never wanna let you go’_ he sang, spotlights hot on his cheeks, and she felt it somewhere deep in her chest too, pinging against her rib cage until something in her heart snapped. Those words were for her, for her to hear and relish in, and she has plenty of time to do so while she waits for the venue to clear out.

 

The last of the remaining guests trickle out of the empty bar, and she can hear Archie talking to his manager from behind the stage, the words incomprehensible. This is the moment that she’s been thinking of for a while now, and she’s liked to think she’d be okay no matter how she goes, but she isn’t invincible and he’s something she’s not willing to lose. 

 

Heading behind the curtain, she sees Archie turn around to see that it’s just her, asking the manager to give them a moment. 

 

“Hey,” he halfway smiles, hands tucked in his pockets, and goodness he gives her butterflies still.

 

“Hi,” she says back, biting down on her lower lip. Archie can tell she’s nervous by her mannerisms, which she didn’t even take into account that he knows her better than herself. 

 

“Thanks for coming tonight,” Archie finally adds, flashing a row of his perfect white teeth. 

 

“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. The new music is amazing, by the way,” Veronica adds, because the three new songs he’s added to his usual set are some of her favorites yet. It never ceases to amaze her how hard he works, always coming up with the most beautiful melodies and words to match. Even though she could hear everything he has to say without him making a sound, the words express so much. 

 

“Oh, those are just some new ideas I’ve tossed around. They’re not gonna be on the album,” he tells her, motioning for them to sit at a nearby table, pulling her chair out. 

 

“Well, if those are just extra songs, the album must be pretty good,” Veronica laughs, watching him with admiration across the cold marble of the round table they’re at. 

 

“I had a lot to write about,” he mumbles, pink cheeked, but she can’t mind- if she were able to formulate her feelings into such beautiful poems, she’s sure this would be the time in her life where her creativity flow was at its strongest. “Where’s Chuck?” Archie adds nonchalantly. 

 

“He’s not- he left,” Veronica mutters, wondering if she should just say it and deciding to. “We aren’t together anymore.”

 

“Oh,” Archie somewhat whispers. “I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s alright, it’s for the best anyways. That’s just not what I want right now,” she tells him, looking at his earnest face. His tongue slips out to wet his lips, and he scratches the back of his neck. “I love you,” she continues, a shuddery breath exiting her lips with words, heart pounding faster than she knows it should. 

 

“I love you too, you know that.” Archie replies. He must not understand what she means, that she loves him, she wants to love him forever.

 

“No, Archie,” she says, reaching out a shaky hand to hold his much larger one, feeling his palm close around hers. “I love you. In a way that I don’t love anyone else, in a way that I could never love Chuck. And I’m done running from the way that I love you, the way you make me feel. I’m done chasing something that isn’t there, when I’ve got you, and this baby, and our family that we get to have forever.” 

 

The look on his face is sort of confused and she halfway sucks in a breath after completely putting her heart in his hands.

 

“Ronnie,” he whispers, getting up to kneel beside her chair, pulling both of his hands to his chest. “I love you like that, too. You’re all I want- you and our little girl.”

 

She can’t stand the space anymore, her lips are practically twitching as she leans in towards his, connecting and fitting perfectly as they ever did. He sucks lightly on her bottom lip, hands resting above her hips as he leans up to match her height. His stubble is scratchy against her face but she doesn’t care, she revels in the feeling of his touch because she’s never felt so at home in her life. 

 

When Archie finally breaks the kiss for air, she sees his smile and feels one on her own face as well, unable to keep her cheeks from being a rosy shade when his finger brush against her belly. His hand covers her bump and he leans down to kiss it. 

 

They stand up so they can hug, and he squeezes her tightly as she takes in his scent, the same cologne she always bought for him and the smell of his cheap shampoo.

 

After pressing a kiss just below his ear, she whispers, “I’m sorry. For leaving and for-“

 

He cuts her off by grabbing her face in his hands and kissing her, “I don’t care.” Archie mumbles against her lips, holding behind her head gently, fingers running through the raven curls. “All I care about is you and our little girl, Ronnie.”

 

She feels whole again, like broken glass that was glued perfectly back together- her Archie, and her little girl, finally feeling like she has everything she wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, finally got to what everyone wants to see... I know it was a bit painful to endure Chuck and Ronnie, but I so enjoyed giving that layer to the characters. And poor Veronica is finally catching a break. And sweet lil Archie finally got his girl back. The rest of the book won't be all fluff, but they are back together in some form as of this chapter. Also, baby girl's name reveal is in the next chapter, as well as some exciting stuff I have plotted.
> 
> Please please comment and let me know what you think and what you hope to see from the story!!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading.


	10. October: I’m Your Song

October: I’m Your Song

 

x

 

He must not hear her knock at his bedroom door, but he notices when she slips beside him under the blue silk sheets, pressing into his side. His hand absentmindedly floats to her swollen belly, holding until she scoots closer and nuzzles into him, feeling perfect and fitting just the way he liked.

 

Before long, her breathing evens out and she’s back asleep in his arms where he never wants her to leave.

 

She wakes up an hour later, before Archie, and runs her palm up and down his back.

 

“Archie,” she murmurs against his deep red hair, coaxing him out of sleep with her rough and strained morning voice. Over the past few weeks this has been her routine- fall asleep in her bed, and at some point trudge over to Archie’s room and wake up in his arms. “Mi amor,” Veronica presses, as his eyes open and adjust to the morning light. “We’ve gotta get up.”

 

“But-“ Archie frowns, holding her waist from where she’s sitting and running his thumbs along her bare skin underneath his shirt. “I wanna cuddle with you and the baby. Both of my girls.”

 

“Don’t,” she whines, brushing his hands away. “I’m emotionally sensitive right now and if you say any more cute things my heart might spontaneously combust.”

 

“Five more minutes.”

 

That gets her, and he pulls her back under his pile of covers and into his arms, both hands wrapping around her bump as he’s the big spoon.

 

After a few moments, he feels a thud against Veronica’s belly, their little girl kicking away like she always does- she’s an active baby, which scared Veronica at first but her doctor informed her that it’s not a bad thing at all.

 

“She’ll be a little rockstar,” Archie says into her ear, kissing underneath on her soft skin. “Like her dad, but cooler.”

 

Five minutes turns into an hour but then he really does have to get up. He’s got a meeting with his manager at noon that he needs to think about and prepare some ideas for, which can’t happen when he’s snuggling with his girls, because his brain goes numb.

 

The best way for him to create is just to strum his guitar in random chords, no tune in particular, and he’s starting to get into focus when Veronica comes back into his room, half a bagel in her hand as she sits on his bed. Instead of distracting him, it brings him to a new zone of work, a million words formulating in his mind at just the thought of her.

 

“Do something cute,” he blurts out, making her eyebrows raise in concern.

 

“Isn’t everything I do cute?” she challenges, smirking because she knows he’d say yes. “But why?”

 

“To inspire me,” Archie shrugs. It takes her a moment to think, and she continues listening to him strum away at his six string, glancing at herself in the mirror. Standing, Veronica pulls the oversized cotton tee up until it rests on the top of her belly, nice and round.

 

Veronica had always been beautiful, anyone would agree, but pregnancy was such a good fit for her- she had a nice healthy glow, and she just seemed so happy. And as he played a tune, Archie watched his whole world as she turned to the side and caressed her bump, the other half of his heart held in there- his daughter, the human being they made with their love. Stopping the strings with his hand, he comes over to stand beside her, hands over her own tiny ones on her belly.

 

“I’m glad I get to be here,” Archie murmurs into her neck. “You know, with you and everything.” he adds, smoothing over her soft tanned skin with hisfingers.

 

“And Berkeley,” Veronica hums contently, turning to press her cheek into Archie’s chest, enjoying the warmth his body radiates.

 

“Berkeley?” Archie asks chuckling. “I didn’t know we’d decided on baby girl’s name yet?”

 

Veronica smirks a little bit, pulling out of his arms.

 

“You came up with it,” she shrugs, plopping herself back down on his bed to snuggle in his sheets and take in the scent, all musky like his cologne. “The more I think about it, the more it fits.”

 

“Berkeley Andrews...” Archie grins to himself, unable to peel his eyes off of Veronica who is currently closing her eyes.

 

“She’s gonna be one spoiled little girl. I have no doubts that she’ll have her daddy wrapped around her finger in no time,” she chuckles, because it’s true, and Archie admits defeat.

 

“Well, she’s gonna be adorable, and smart, and strong, just like her mother,” he adds, crawling over her on the bed, holding her arms above her head so he can press light kisses to her neck.

 

“Go on,” Veronica teases, sitting up underneath to kiss him back, long and soft, cupping his stubbly cheek in her hand and getting lost in the feeling.

 

It’s raining outside, just sprinkling, and there’s honking from the traffic down below, but she can’t seem to think of anything besides Archie when his lips meet hers.

 

“I really have to go, Ronnie,” he says against her lips, his forehead still pressed against hers. Finally pulling back, he sees her frown lightly.

 

“I don’t want you to go,” she whines, holding onto his arm much like a child, the cutest sense about her.

 

“I’ll be back before long, and then I’m all yours, I promise,” he tells her, pressing a kiss to her bump before he grabs his guitar and his composition sheets.

 

“You always were,” Veronica grins from his doorway, watching him step down the hall to the front door.

 

“What?” he questions, once he’s turned the deadbolt, and he looks down the hall to see her draped against the tan wall, looking like everything he’d ever need.

 

“All mine.”

 

x

 

He means to make it a quick meeting, but then they start going over ideas for the album cover and the order of the track list, and it’s after five by the time he’s stepping onto the concrete sidewalks under his studio. All he wanted was to spend one day, just Ronnie and him binge watching all of her favorite shows and getting to hold her under a pile of blankets on the couch.

 

But yet again, he got caught up in his work, and while it was important to pay the bills, she’s more important than any of that- especially in these last months as just them. He’s trying to come up with the best way to apologize, maybe bringing home dinner, when he’s pulled out of his thoughts by his cell phone ringing. Her name flashes across the screen and he can’t help but be nervous, especially with the pregnancy and all.

 

“Ronnie, are you okay? Is the baby okay?” he asks frantically, hearing her giggle in response on the other line.

 

“We’re fine, Archiekins, the baby and I are doing just fine.” Veronica reassures him, and he lets out an audible sigh of relief.

 

“I’m sorry about today,” he murmurs, apologetically. “I’ll make it up to you- maybe we can go to that really nice sushi place on Bedford?”

 

“First of all babe, I can’t even eat sushi, and second of all, I already ordered us a pizza and wings- I’m in the mood to stay in tonight, if that’s okay?” she asks, and her voice even sounds sweet from through the phone.

 

“Yeah, definitely, that sounds incredible Ron.” he smiles to himself, feeling like dodged a bullet.

 

“And maybe we can even Postmate some ice cream,” she suggests, a tone of excitement in her voice. “The one I really like-“

 

“With the almond butter and hot fudge on top. Yes, babe, let’s do that. And you can pick the show, okay?” Archie tells her, totally smitten and reminded of the days when they lived in their tiny apartment in Highbridge- he was an absolute nobody, working his way up in the production company until he got lucky enough for a record deal, and she was always studying to pass her law school exams, but at the end of the day they’d always just set aside to relax with each other.

 

“Veronica, I’m home,” he calls down the long hallway, setting down his bomber jacket before making his way to the living room where she is. She’s in a little lemon printed dress, both feet stretched out on the couch, glasses perched on her nose and her current book resting up against her bump.

 

“How was your day?” she chirps, hopping off of the couch to swing her arms around his neck.

 

“It was work,” he says simply. “You seem to be in good spirits, darling.”

 

“I just had this idea...” she smiles, the one she always flashes at him when she wants him to say yes, because it’s irresistible.

 

“What’s that?” Archie smirks, rolling his eyes knowingly.

 

“You and I should go upstate this weekend, maybe get a little cabin or something? I read in one of my pregnancy books that it’s good for first time parents to go on a babymoon.” she looks so excited, her little chin resting on Archie’s hands with wide eyes.

 

“Babe,” he sighs quickly. “I can’t- I’m sorry,” Archie mutters, feeling useless yet again that he doesn’t even have time for his girlfriend in their last stretch of time before they’re parents.

 

“Oh,” Veronica frowns, unsure of why he can’t commit. “That’s alright, I guess.”

 

“It’s not that I don’t want to, babe, I swear- I really really do. It’s just that, I’ve got this meeting in London on Saturday,” he explains, biting his lower lip as she stares back at him. “It’ll just be the quickest trip ever, I’ll be home on Sunday and-“

 

“Archiekins, it’s okay,” she stops his rambling, grabbing his hand with her much smaller one. Archie pulls it up to his lips to kiss the tips of her fingers, so delicately that she blushes. “Maybe I could go with you, if you wouldn’t mind?”

 

She says it so innocently, so gentle that he can’t even formulate a response besides pulling her down into his lap on the couch, kissing her so quickly that it startles both of them.

 

“Yes,” he says breathlessly between kisses. “I’d love nothing more. We can make a trip out of it- and do whatever you want to do.”

 

“Okay,” Veronica smiles back, cradling her legs in his lap so she can rest her head back onto his shoulder. “It sounds wonderful.”

 

Their night at home is wonderful, just like old times getting to eat slices of pizza with black olives, just like Ronnie likes- while they laugh at TV shows and make fun of crappy commercials.

 

She requests a foot rub, and he can’t deny her, so he sits across from her on the couch and gently rubs her soles until she’s content, and then they cuddle up one one tiny section of the couch.

 

Veronica falls asleep in his arms, and he waits until he’s sure she’s asleep to turn of the television, starting the journey to her bedroom while holding her carefully, carrying her until he rests her in her bed and tucks her in under her electric blanket. With a soft kiss on her forehead, he murmurs a goodnight against her face before heading for the door, when a shift in the bed turns him around.

 

“Arch?” Veronica says, a sleepy voice as she sits up in her bed, facing him with barely any light from the hall hitting her face- she still looks beautiful, more than he can imagine. “Can you sleep in here, with me?”

 

“‘Course,” he mumbles, stripping down to his boxers before climbing into bed next to her, pulling her into his side gently, the way she liked to lay.

 

x

 

By the time he finally gets Veronica into the car, as well as all of her luggage, the Pink Floyd CD is on its sixth track and they’ll be lucky to make it in time for their flight to London.

 

“Beauty takes time,” she tells him, and he wants to roll his eyes until she rests her hand over his on the center console, peeling his eyes off of the road for only a moment to kiss her cheek.

 

“Fair point,” Archie chuckles. “And you’re like, extremely beautiful, so therefore it must take a lot of time?”

 

“You’re learning so well,” she teases, laughing when he thanks her.

 

They do manage to make it just in time, slipping into their side-by-side seats in first class as almost the last people before the attendant shuts the door. Veronica pulls a blue sweatshirt out of her bag that she’s specifically stolen from Archie’s closet, and slips it over her head as his eyes go wide.

 

“I was looking for that,” he whines, tugging on the sleeve until she shoots him a glare. “Did you seriously steal it?”

 

“I sure did,” she grins to herself, knowing she’s won the argument before it’s even begun. “And since nothing else will fit over my belly, which is currently holding your child, I win.”

 

Archie sighs, knowing he’s defeated, resting a hand on her stomach.

 

“You can keep it,” he pretends to be upset, flipping his red hair dramatically before Veronica runs a few fingers through it to mess it up. “Cause I love you.”

 

“Aren’t I the luckiest girl in the world,” she smiles, pecking his lips. “Actually, little miss Berk and I are tied for the two luckiest, because her daddy treats us so good.”

 

In Archie’s opinion, everything Veronica does is cute, but this takes his heart to a whole new level, beating out of his chest- his angel, and his baby girl, and they’re so close to getting to meet her that he just wants to cherish the moments he has while she’s in Veronica’s tummy.

 

“And there’s two of you? I’m a dead man walking,” he teases. “My heart cannot handle this.”

 

“Well what do you expect your heart to do when she’s actually here?” Veronica laughed.

 

“It kind of snuck up on me... the fact that she’ll be here in less than two months. I can’t have a kid if I’m still a kid.” Archie widened his eyes, making Veronica shove his shoulder and laugh, feeling the happiness from the top of her head all the way to her toes, mind-numbing.

 

“You’ll be a good dad, Archie. You know that right?” she asks, nuzzling her nose into his out of the blue.

 

“I know it seems like I’m a super caring guy, but I messed us up- and I don’t wanna ever make that mistake again, especially not with Berkeley. And if I’m on tour, which I might have to be, I don’t wanna miss a second of her life.” he opens up, laying out all of his fears to her as she scoots even closer, holding up his face.

 

“You and I, whatever happened was you and me not being honest with each other, and I’m never gonna let that happen again, okay?” Veronica tells him, and he nods but he’s not all there, so she squeezes his face a little tighter until he meets her face with sad eyes. “And I don’t care what I have to do, you are not gonna miss a second of Berk’s life- we’re gonna do this together, every step of the way. You and me, yeah?” she asks, and there’s a stream of tears flowing down her eyes that he reaches to swipe, pulling her into his chest.

 

“You and me, forever Ronnie.”

 

x

 

His meeting is long and boring, and when he finally escapes, is raining on the streets of London, and chilly. The cafe they’ve chosen for lunch isn’t too crowded, and he spots Veronica instantly, sitting alone at a table for two with a cute little sweater and a beanie on.

 

“Hi,” she stands up, to kiss the corner of his mouth in greeting. “How was your meeting?”

 

“Boring.” he punches the bridge of his nose, sitting down to see that she’d already ordered their food, and it’s exactly something he would’ve picked for himself. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, darling.”

 

“Well, hopefully I can brighten your day,” she says, munching on a cold salad and smiling from across the round table. They fall into a light conversation, and when she asks him what they talked about during the meeting he takes a drink of his sparkling water, clearing his throat.

 

“Do you want the good news or the bad news first?” he grimaces, making her worry.

 

“I guess the good?” Veronica says, voice going up in pitch as she bites down on her lower lip. To comfort her, the redhead reaches across the table to hold her hand, stroking it softly with her thumb.

 

“The good news is that I can be done with my portion of the album by December, so when Berkeley is here I’ll be able to stay home with you guys,” he says, the cold going away and turning into nervous heat.

 

“That’s great, babe.” Veronica is smiling, until she realizes he isn’t.

 

“The bad news is that they want me to tour starting next June- it’ll be good for the album and just my image in general, but I’m not doing it.” Archie shakes his head, squeezing her hand even tighter.

 

“Archiekins,” she says confused, “You need to go.”

 

“Absolutely not,” he argues, his tone firm like she’s only seen it a few times. “I’m not leaving my girls.”

 

“We can go with you,” Veronica blurts, and she knows he won’t be fond of the idea but she doesn’t want him to miss out either.

 

“I don’t want the two of you traveling so much, it’s exhausting and I don’t wanna do that to you.”

 

It’s not even a question, he loves Veronica too much and already loves their baby too much to let them do that for him. As a father, it’s his job to protect both his daughter and Veronica, and he knows she’ll argue that fact due to her feminist ways. And not to say he doesn’t support them, because he loves seeing her activism and going to marches with her- he also knows she’ll raise their little girl to be just a strong and powerful.

 

“You’ve done so much for me, and I know you’re going to do so much for our daughter, so let us do that for you.” Veronica says from the heart, face turning soft at Archie’s protectiveness over their child.

 

“You really want this?” he tries to double check, kneeling beside her chair and resting a hand on her belly, as close as he can get to his daughter right now.

 

“I want you, and our baby, our family. That’s all I want Archie,” she whispers, and he’s leaning in to kiss her before she has another reaction. Finally pulling apart, he brushes a strand of hair behind her ear.

 

“Okay. Then we’ll do it together,” he sighs, pulling her close. “Our family.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And some cute V & A to make up for a lack of it in the story... don’t worry! Our other favorites like Kevin and Reggie will be back next chapter as well as the most exciting event yet *wink wink*. Let me know what you think about this chapter with a comment down below, and what you wanna see for the future!! 
> 
> P.S. sorry for the late post, I’ve had a sinus infection this week and just started the chapter about 6 hours ago. Wanted to make it good so I’m posting it late. Thanks for reading!!


	11. November: Complete

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> at last, the new chapter is here. i had my appendix removed so i had to take a week off from this book, but i’ve returned with one of my favorite chapters yet.

November: Complete

 

x

 

Apartment hunting is not what she expected, because to be honest she’s never apartment hunted like this- they were always just looking for a small place that they could afford, but now Archie has money for a really nice apartment and they’re also worried about the place being a good fit for a baby and then a young child. Her doctor has advised her against moving, but they definitely don’t want to have the baby at Kevin’s, and Archie has agreed to do all of the manual labor and the stressful things.

 

Plus, they’re going to need a lot more storage space for the amount of clothes and toys Veronica’s already bought for Berkeley. Not to mention that Archie teases they’re going to need an entire closet just for the amount of shoes the baby already has, ranging from tiny sandals to little baby sneakers.

 

“My feet are tired,” Veronica groans as they walk through another apartment with their real estate agent, holding her weight on Archie’s arms as she winces, the insides of her feet aching with every step.

 

“This is the last place, darling, do you think you can make it?” he asks gently, arm wrapping around her waist to support even more of her weight. “I’ll rub your feet as soon as we get back home, I promise.”

 

“And you’ll go get the cheesecake that I asked for?” she grins like a little kid, hearing Archie let out an audible sigh. “Baby... you promised.” Veronica says, pursing out her lower lip.

 

“Sure, Ron,” Archie admits defeat, his eyebrows pressing together as he continues to look around the apartment, but Veronica isn’t really in the mood and she’s got other ideas.

 

“That might be in your best interest, incase there’s a reward...” she smirks, the corners of her lips sculpting into the perfect look, seductive eyes looking into his.

 

“Okay, babe, I love the thought,” he said truthfully. “But, I want your input on this place... you can be kinda picky and I want you to love it.”

“Why’s that?” Veronica asked, chin perched on Archie’s shoulder as she glanced around the apartment, taking it in. This one was at the top of their price range, but it was also furnished so they have to worry about getting everything moved in before the baby came- on top of all the work Archie is doing for his album release, it’s not realistic.

 

“Because it’s gonna be our first real place- the place we bring Berk home to, and the place where we’re gonna make a lot of our first memories and I want it to be perfect.” Archie says, walking Veronica around to show her the place. It’s nice- it’s in a very very high end part of town, and she was concerned at first until she realized Archie has more money now than he probably even knows what to do with.

 

There’s four bedrooms, one which will be a studio, and one of the other two remaining rooms would be Berkeley’s nursery, preferably the one closest to their master bedroom.

 

“I really like it- there’s plenty of room for all of your instruments and equipment, and that bedroom would be perfect for Berkeley.” she nods, approving of the living areas as well.

 

“Okay, we can put this at the top of our list,” he agrees, and she seems to disagree.

 

“I think we should get the apartment,” Veronica replies way too nonchalantly for the reality of the statement.

 

“Ronnie, don’t you think that’s a little impulsive, just to sign a lease the day we look at the apartment,” Archie sighs, because he never wins against her in an argument, especially not while she’s pregnant.

 

“Do not tell me I’m being impulsive, Archie,” Veronica nearly hisses, and she’s got a fiery look in her eyes.

 

“Sorry, pregnancy hormones, I forgot,” he murmurs under his breath, not going unnoticed.

 

“What did you say?”

 

He gives in, if not only for the fact that he can’t bear to make her walk around with sore feet anymore- he wants her to be comfortable and to have the massage she asked for. Motioning for their real estate agent to join them in the living room, Archie signs a million papers under his name until he feels like his hand might fall off, but Veronica nuzzles into his side and smiles proudly and it’s worth it- it was for her. He just leased this apartment for her, the girl of his dreams, and their little girl.

 

On the sidewalk, they stop under a tree while he waits to hail a cab, and he helps her to put on her coat since the fall air in the city has gotten quite chilly.

 

“I promise, only the top two buttons will close,” she laughs as he fumbles with the fastenings, eyebrows pressed together as if he were trying to solve something complicated.

 

“We could get you a new coat, I’m pretty sure it’s doable,” he teases her, eyes squinting to glance at her all funny.

 

“My mother gave me one already, but I prefer my own,” Veronica says boldly, and instead of simply reaching for his hand, she wraps both of her arms entirely around his right one, settling into his side as they walk the pavements.

 

“You’re stubborn sometimes,” Archie lets out a breath as he helps her into the cab, sliding into the seat next to her and reassuring that she’s comfortable.

 

“I’m not stubborn, I just have particular taste, Archiekins,” she annunciates, smirking at him from across the seats, and he wonders how he got so lucky to have a girlfriend who was strong and independent like Veronica. For the most part he was shocked by how willing she was to let him be protective, to let him do so many things for her, but with her size due to the baby, she physically wasn’t able to do so much without help.

 

“Well, I’m lucky that you express what you want, because otherwise I’d be a terrible boyfriend,” he laughs, but it isn’t true in any way- he’s the most caring. Anytime she asks for absolutely anything, he does it immediately, and goes the extra mile to make sure it’s perfect for her. It’s so special and intimate to her because she’s not sure she’s ever been spoiled like Archie spoils her. Sure, she was a very wealthy child, and she had all of the finest things, but she didn’t have someone who cared for her, who only wanted her to be perfectly content and now she has Archie.

 

“You’re far from,” Veronica frowns slightly, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, “Don’t say that. You always take care of me.” Her face morphs into a cheeky little smile, sort of proud, but mostly it tells of admiration.

 

“But I’m not-“ Archie really tries, but she cuts him off before he can try to defend his silly argument.

 

“Don’t, no buts mister,” Veronica softly pokes a finger into his chest. “You’ve been nothing short of amazing during the pregnancy, and I can already tell you’re gonna be an amazing dad to our little girl.”

 

“And you,” he shifts. “There isn’t anyone else I’d want to do this with. I know you’ll be the best mother to Berkeley.”

 

“This isn’t about me,” Veronica pouts, just wanting to make Archie special for once, like how he always makes her feel. She still hasn’t grasped the concept that Archie wants to give her all of his attention, and wants to shower her with compliments.

 

“You’re almost nine months pregnant, honey. Everything should be about you,” Archie laughs, and the sound of happiness in his voice makes her laugh too. She truthfully can’t imagine him not being by her side at this point in the pregnancy- the first few months were hard enough without him. At least now she’s certain that he belongs in her life, and that leaving was the biggest mistake she’s ever made, but she’s lucky enough that he would forget about all of that in a heartbeat- for her.

 

“She’s not due for three more weeks, it’s not like I’m about to pop,” Veronica counters, but at this point he’s gone back to being enamored with her belly, something he does a lot. He always likes to press kisses to the round exterior, and sometimes he zones out just looking at it, like now. “Hey,” she drawls, pushing his chin up to look at her.

 

“Sorry,” he mutters, shaking off whatever weird trance he was in. “Just thinking about how there’s a real life baby in there. Do veggie burgers sound good for dinner?”

 

x

 

Immediately after arriving home, she changes out of her dress and into a big t-shirt from college and a pair of gray sweats. As soon as she’s done washing her face and throwing up her hair, she returns to the living room where Archie is scrolling through movies on Kevin’s television.

 

“Where’s Kev?” Veronica asks confused, taking a long drink of the water Archie had poured for her.

 

“He’s staying the night at Scott’s,” Archie shrugs, clicking on a movie, and she groans when she reads it.

 

“Do you think he’s gone all the time so we can have alone time that we’re not really even having?” she arches an eyebrow, mentioning their lack of intimacy lately. “And Top Gun? I don’t wanna watch that.”

 

“Well, I mean, maybe he’s trying to give us an opportunity,” Archie winks, smirking until she elbows him in the side. “It’s my night to pick the movie.”

 

“But it was your night to pick the food, too,” Veronica pouts, and usually Archie would melt immediately at that face and hand the remote over, but he seems caught in his thoughts. “That’s not fair.”

 

“I could make it up to you, after we watch the movie,” he suggests, still hooked up on the previous conversation. “Or we could do that instead of watching the movie.”

 

“Play your stupid movie,” she huffs, her glasses sliding down her nose a bit until he pushes them back up, kissing the tip of her nose and pulling her out of her little grumpy state.

 

“C’mere, babe,” he suggests, tugging her arm until she’s resting between his legs, her back pressed against his chest. Her phone buzzes and vibrates on the coffee table, and she picks it up to reveal its an attempted text from her abuelita, asking how she and the baby are doing.

 

“Smile,” she nudges Archie, sitting up so that she can see both herself (bump included) and Archie in the back, his hands wrapped around her bump from behind with a goofy grin plastered on his face. Snapping the photo, she types out a quick message to her abuelita before returning to the movie, laughing at the funny lines, and then laughing along when Archie laughs at things she clearly doesn’t understand. The movie isn’t half bad, but she’s already got other plans for the night and she isn’t going to forget.

 

Her fingers absentmindedly slip under the hem of his t-shirt, brushing along the bumps of his stomach muscles and catching his attention. He arches an eyebrow before turning his head back to the movie, but it doesn’t end there- she now completely flips herself over so she’s laying on top of him, and begins to press a line of kisses to his neck.

 

“Ronnie,” he laughs, tilting his head down to look at her, feeling the comfort of her bump pressing into his stomach.

 

“I’m bored,” Veronica pouts, only jokingly, nuzzling her cheek into Archie’s shoulder, pressing light kisses there that send a tingle down his spine. “I think you can help with that.”

 

“Really? How do you suggest I do that?” Archie asks, and Veronica props her chin up on his chest to look at him with sparkling eyes. He remembers falling in love with her like this, getting so caught up in the feeling she brought when she was in his arms that nothing else in the world mattered one bit.

 

“Well, we could go to our bedroom, or stay out here theoretically,” she tried to explain, even blushing at the thought. “Sorry, that was so upfront.”

 

“Don’t apologize, Ronnie,” he chuckled lowly, also blushing as he played with her hair, brushing it through his fingers. “We can definitely do that, you know, only if you want. Or if it’s not safe for the baby we can do other things?” he scrunches up his face, rambling over his words horribly.

 

They’re both a little nervous, and it’s easy to tell.

 

“Well I read that it’s not harmful to the baby, but I mean still, we don’t have to do that if you don’t want to,” she says awkwardly, averting her eyes back to the movie.

 

“Hey,” he lightly grabs her cheek, just enough to turn her eyes back onto him. “Of course I want to.”

 

“Really? Because I’ve just been a bit hormonal lately I suppose, but I didn’t know how to ask you and-“

 

He shuts her up the best way he can, a long, searing kiss that has her brain tingling and has him standing up, carrying her tightly in his arms through the hallway until he’s able to gently lay her down on the covers, a beautiful picture below him.

 

“Babe,” Archie murmurs, because after he pulls away from kissing her, she’s slipped off the big shirt she had on earlier, to reveal herself bare underneath. He slips his own shirt off and she can’t help but to stare- his body is sculpted and she’s sure he’s gained pounds of muscle since she’s last looked at him like this, all hers.

 

With a mix of hormones, and the utter attractiveness of Archie, she can’t stop herself from grabbing his wrist and pulling him on top of her, letting him feel the way their bare chests press into each other, creating friction on their skin. It’s dark in the room but she can faintly see him eyeing her up and down, and grows self conscious. Her lips stop working against his and her face grows furiously red, reaching to cover her exposed skin.

 

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong babe? Too much?” he asks, brushing against her cheek and sitting up incase the contact was too much for her.

 

“No, I just thing we should trade places,” she suggests, and he complies, laying under as she straddles his waist.

 

He begins his attempt to remove the pants she’s got on, toying with the waistband.

 

“Is this okay?” he double checks, and she nods yes while kissing him as he removes both her pants and her undergarments.

 

Veronica doesn’t wait any longer, she slips herself down onto him suddenly, feeling the pleasure rush through her body. She’s missed this- has craved it for so long that it feels so intoxicatingly good to do this. They follow her pace, but she feels him thrust up into her gently, just enough that it keeps her wanting more. Her lips roam his neck, and then his chest, and his hands are occupied with her chest.

 

It’s never felt like this, so good, and she knows they’re not doing it for any other purpose than the fact that they both want this with each other. She comes on top of him first, and it takes a minute or two for him to catch up, pleasure still rocking through her body when he reaches his own high, pulling her down and into his arms.

 

“I forgot how good you are at that.”

 

x

 

She wakes up a little confused, but finds comfort in his arms wrapped around her torso, his warm naked body keeping her from the chill of the room.

 

“Your alarm is buzzing, babe,” Veronica mumbles against his lips, beginning something she knows they can’t finish since he has things to do today.

 

“Already?” he groans, lifting a pillow to cover his face and pulling her even closer, if possible.

 

She stifles a laugh, pulling the pillow away from him so she can ruffle his hair with her free hand, the other one wrapped tightly around his back.

 

“It’s 7:30, so yes, already,” Veronica sighs as well, peppering kisses along Archie’s face. “I wish you could stay.”

 

“Then I’ll stay, I’ll cancel my stuff today,” he decides suddenly, and she laughs.

 

“No, silly,” Veronica shakes her head. “You’ve got a lot to get done at the studio before the baby arrives, and I honestly don’t think you have time to take a break.”

 

“I’m just so tired... you wore me out Lodge.” he smirks to himself, kissing her cheek when she blushes furiously.

 

“Same,” she nods, laughing it off. “A little sore if we’re being honest, but it could just be normal pregnancy stuff.”

 

“I’ll run you a warm bath,” Archie offers, and she would refuse because he’s been working so hard, but it does sound really nice and she’d like to decompress while she has the apartment to herself.

 

“This is why you’re my favorite,” she grins happily, accepting the kiss he presses to her lips before he rolls up and out of the bed.

 

“Pretty sure that title is about to be stolen by Berkeley,” he raises his eyebrows goofily. “But I’m okay with that.”

 

She almost dozes off, in a state of being purely content as she hears the bath water run, and then she hears the door to the apartment shut, pulling her out of her daze. Untangling herself from the sheets, she steps onto the cold hardwood floor, feeling a cramp of sorts shoot up her spine, but she brushes it off and gently eases herself into the water.

 

It’s the perfect temperature, not too hot for the baby, but hot enough to sooth her aches, and she can tell Archie must have used some kind of something in the bath water because it smells faintly of lavender, her favorite scent. Closing her eyes, she relaxes and allows herself to take a moment to breathe- that is until the same cramping pain reoccurs, but a little bit more intense to where she has to bite down on her lip to keep from wincing out loud.

 

She’s read about this in books, and her mother told her all about them, so they’ve gotta be just that- Braxton Hicks. They’re minor contractions that aren’t actually during labor, but quite a bit before, and they can feel similar to that. So, she continues to bite her lips and rinses quickly, wrapping herself in a warm fuzzy robe after drying off. By the time she emerges into the living room, she sees Kevin on the couch watching a true crime documentary.

 

“Kev,” she squeals. “Tell me all about your evening.” Veronica plops down on the couch, winking to explain exactly what she means.

 

“I could say the same for you, after the thank you text I received from your baby daddy this morning- about my absence from the apartment last night,” Kevin smirks, equally inquisitive, and just as she’s about to ramble on about her night, she feels the pain this time, much more intense than the last two, to the point where she lets out a small yelp. “Veronica?” Kevin asks concerned, standing up from his spot on the couch.

 

“Don’t worry Kev, they’re just Braxton Hicks,” she brushes it off, tightening the robe and gripping uncomfortably to the arm of the couch, digging her nails in at the aftershocks of the pain.

 

“I don’t think those are supposed to hurt that bad V,” he tells her, and she rolls her eyes.

 

“They don’t,” it’s a complete lie, and Kevin knows by the way the pain appears on her face. “Do not call Archie!” she yells when she sees Kevin picking up his phone.

 

Luckily for her, Archie doesn’t answer, neither the first or second time Kevin calls him, but now she’s starting to admit to herself that maybe these Braxton Hicks are not that at all.

 

And then it happens, all at once- a pool of water appears below her feet and she’s certain it’s not her own urine, confused until Kevin says something about getting the hospital bag.

 

Her water broke, her water actually just broke- this wasn’t supposed to happen today. She’s only 34 weeks and Archie isn’t home and isn’t answering his phone, and for a moment she feels the tears start to blur her vision because she just wants her Archie.

 

“Oh god, don’t cry,” Kevin urges, as he’s helping her into his car, arm wrapped securely around her with her ‘go bag’ in his other hand, throwing it in the back quickly and getting into the driver’s seat.

 

“Ow, holy shit, Kevin, I’m not doing this today,” she tries to unbuckle, swatting his hand away. “Nope, she’s not supposed to come for at least three more weeks, so I can’t.”

 

“Relax V,” Kevin insists, not wanting her to put the baby in harm by stressing. “I called your mom and her, your dad, and Fred are on their way from Riverdale... they should make it in time.”

 

“I just want Archie,” she whines, crossing her arms like a child and pouting between tears. “He wouldn’t make me go.”

 

“I’m pretty sure he would, considering it’s in his best interest for the safety of his child and his girlfriend,” he laughs, stopping when Veronica shoots me a death glare.

 

“What if he never answers his phone? I’m not delivering the baby if he’s not there,” she demands, wanting to be able to squeeze his hand and hear his soothing voice and all the things she had in her birth plan.

 

“He’ll get here, I swear. I’ll get Reggie on top of that,” Kevin notes mentally, driving safely but still quickly to Mount Sinai Hospital, taking her through an emergency drop off so that she could start on paperwork.

 

She doesn’t know half of the information they’re asking her to fill out, mostly because she’s in a state of shock right now, and her hands are shaking when Kevin finds her, taking the pen and writing down what she says.

 

“Shit,” Veronica mumbles when Kevin asks for the full name of who will be in the delivery room with her. “I can’t even remember his middle name.”

 

She’s incoherent at this point, and all Kevin is able to make out between her sobs is that she wants Archie, who is still not picking up. He finally gets a lightbulb idea to have Veronica call him herself, knowing there’s better chances of him answering the phone when it’s his very pregnant girlfriend.

 

It only rings twice before he picks up, catching onto her sniffles from through the phone.

 

“Ronnie, baby, what’s wrong?” Archie asks, his voice evidently laced with lots of concern- he’s ready to head to her at that very moment, preparing to grab his keys.

 

“Kevin and I are at the hospital... my water broke,” she tries to get in all the information quickly, because she knows he’ll panic- he’s always worried. “She’s coming today.”

 

“I’m leaving right now,” he mumbles immediately. “I’ll be there as soon as I can be, I promise.” And he will be, as he’s running down the steps of his studio to where his car is parked, going at a speed he wasn’t even sure he was capable of.

 

“When will you be here?” Veronica whines, wanting him to hold her hand, or at least just be able to see his face.

 

“Not very long, maybe twenty minutes, depending on the traffic,” he tells her, sounding so comforting even if it has to be over a phone call.

 

“Hurry,” Veronica adds, even though she can guarantee he already is. “Also, what’s your middle name?”

 

x

 

By the time he arrives to the hospital, checks his car into valet, and rushes inside, the lady at the desk tells him they’ve already checked Veronica into a room while they check his identification to make sure he’s on her accepted visitors list.

 

Speed walking down the hall of the tenth floor, he finds her room number and doesn’t even knock before stepping inside, seeing Veronica in a hospital gown, and IV in her hand- he wishes he could’ve been here this whole time to make sure she was comfortable.

 

Her eyes light up when she sees him, and she musters up a soft smile, somewhat pitiful.

 

“Ronnie, I’m so sorry,” he says, kissing her free hand and resting his forehead against hers, about as close as he can get.

 

“It’s okay, Arch,” she shakes her head, brushing the tips of her fingers along his cheekbone, calming him.

 

“She’s coming today. Our baby girl,” Archie finally says, cracking a smile. Kevin has left the room at this point, giving the two of them some time together in their last moments as just two.

 

“I don’t think I’m ready,” Veronica whispers, to where Archie can barely hear, and his heart starts to sink because he doesn’t want her to feel insecure. He already knows for a fact that she will be the best mother to their little girl, taking care of her and that his Ronnie will teach their child everything she needs to know. She’ll be raised in a home where they’ll let her be who she wants to be, and Veronica will raise a strong and independent woman like herself.

 

“Why do you say that, Ron? You’re gonna be amazing at this,” he soothes her, lips tracing along her hairline, seeing the frown erase from her face. “And we’ll do this as a team, you and me.”

 

“It’s just-“ she was ready to tell him how she was feeling, until her doctor walked into the hospital room, with two nurses behind her.

 

“Ms. Lodge, Mr. Andrews, I’ve got some updates after my last check- in with you,” she explains, reading directly off of a clipboard. “I’m afraid that you’re going to have to have a cesarean.”

 

That is not a part of her carefully decided birth plan, and it’s not going to happen.

 

“No,” Veronica says sternly, and Archie can tell she’s about to break into hysterics.

 

“Is everything okay?” Archie decides to ask, because if it’s better for the well-being of Veronica and the baby, he’s willing to agree to it instantly.

 

“The baby is perfectly fine, and so are you Veronica, but we’re afraid that during and after the birth, those things might not remain the same,” the doctor explains, giving them a moment to process, but Veronica doesn’t peel her eyes off of the doctor.

 

“Why is that?” he asks again, wanting to ensure a safe delivery. There’s a growing pit in his own stomach, on the off chance that something would go wrong and put either one of them in any kind of danger. He knows it’s cliche, and that Veronica would never agree with his thoughts, but he feels that as a boyfriend and a father, it’s his job to protect them.

 

“We’ve predicted the baby to be around twenty- two inches, and nearly nine pounds. And Veronica, with your petite size, we’re not sure that your hips will be able to accommodate the size of the baby without causing lasting damage.”

 

This all makes sense, considering that the baby could’ve easily inherited Archie’s size instead of her own, but she’s mad.

 

“My hips will be fine.” Veronica refuses, trying to make that face so that Archie will cave and let her do what she wants, but it’s not going to work.

 

“Ronnie,” Archie pleads. “C’mon, this will be safer for everyone. I know you don’t want to, and I’m not trying to make you, babe.” His time of voice is soft and sweet, and almost has her saying yes in an instant. It’s her job to protect their baby, she’s been doing so for the last eight months and she has to continue.

 

“You’ll be with me, right? I won’t go back there by myself,” she finally mumbles, hiding her face in his shoulder so they can’t all see her crying.

 

“Of course, darling . I’ll always be right by your side.”

 

x

 

Things seem to kick into high gear as soon as Veronica agrees, and he finds himself walking nervously, so cautiously from the operation room where he left Veronica briefly- to the waiting room where he informs everyone about the updated plan. He makes sure to speak to her parents and his father separately, knowing Veronica would be upset if he didn’t.

 

“She’s doing good, a little nervous but it’s about time. As soon as I get back they’re going to start,” he explained.

 

“And the baby is alright as well?” Fred asks, speaking for all of the expectant grandparents.

 

“Yes, she’s perfect as well.” Archie assures them, before resting a hand on Hermione’s shoulders. “I know she wanted you to be there, but they’ll only let one person be in the operating room and-“

 

“Archie,” Mrs. Lodge shakes her head. “She’s just as much your baby as she is Veronica’s, and you deserve to be in there a thousand times more than I do. You two will get to experience the birth of your first child together.”

 

“Thank you, Mrs. Lodge,” he manages to mumble before he shoves his phone back into his scrubs with shaking and clammy hands.

 

“Mr. Andrews,” a nurse calls from down the hall, signaling him back into the operating room.

 

“That’s my cue,” he finally says, composing himself before the group bids him and Veronica good luck, and he quickly heads down the hall.

 

Big brown eyes blinking straight up at the overhead light is how he finds her, nervously chewing the inside of her cheek how he always remembers her doing.

 

“Hey,” Archie exhales, slipping his hand into hers. “You excited?”

 

She nods, still quiet, but a little happier. “It doesn’t feel real that we get to meet her today. And that she’s ours forever.”

 

“I agree,” Archie says, and they only look at each other for a few moments before Doctor Johnson begins to explain the procedure.

 

“Let us know when you’re ready, and we can begin,” the older woman says, and Veronica gives Archie a reassuring nod before they give the go-ahead.

 

She can’t feel much, thankfully, due to all the numbing they’ve done, but she can tell they’re opening her lower stomach by the things they’re saying. It doesn’t take too long for things to speed up, and there’s less pain but more discomfort, and she feels hot and unstable.

 

“Breathe,” Archie reminds her, mimicking breathing patterns- exaggeratedly so- to help her.

 

There’s the beeping of machines, but nothing negative, and then all at once, it feels like the world has come to a stop.

 

He peeks over the curtain just in time to see them lifting up his daughter, and he’d be sick due to the sight if he weren’t astonished by how perfect she looked, his little girl. Veronica knows she’s arrived after seeing the tears in Archie’s eyes.

 

“A healthy baby girl,” Doctor Johnson announces, and she can feel the other piece of her heart on the other side of that curtain. In what feels like an eternity, she sees Archie cut the umbilical cord, and then he’s holding their baby, bringing her just beside Veronica’s face.

 

“Hi, Berkeley,” Veronica whispers, mustering up the energy to reach out and touch her pink face, all red from her exhausting first few moments in this world. She wants to hold her, to get to know her and love on her for a long time, but she’s waited almost nine months, and can wait another short bit- maybe.

 

The nurses take Berkeley and clean her, collecting all of her measurements. Archie is already so nervous, watching every move they make carrying his little girl, and he misses the way she’d felt in his arms.

 

x

 

Veronica finally gets to hold her again once they’ve put her in a room, after the long process of restoring Veronica to her original state, adjusting her incision and resealing it. Archie is holding her, swaddled in a white blanket with a pink striped hat, and the moment she’s placed in Veronica’s arms, she knows this was all meant to be. Her little girl has been her angel through all of this, keeping her sane, and now that she’s really hear it couldn’t be more perfect.

 

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Archie asks, kneeling beside his two most precious people.

 

Berkeley most definitely is beautiful, perfect even, with her small patch of brown hair, tiny little fingers, and chubby cheeks. Archie is now holding Veronica’s hand, smoothing his thumb over her skin.

 

“Look, Arch, she has your nose,” Veronica says adoringly, already seeing so many comparisons between the man she loves and their baby.

 

“Poor thing,” he teases, laughing softly. He’s never felt so content in his entire life.

 

“I think it’s cute!” Veronica counters, that argumentative smirk returning to her face.

 

“It’s cute on Berk, anything would be,” he sighs contently, taking another long look at the newborn.

 

“We never gave her a middle name, you know?” she reminds him. They expected to have more time to pick, or to battle it out since they both were stubborn in their ideas.

 

“Lauren,” he responds, knowing fully that isn’t what he wanted before, but now it seems fitting.

 

“I thought you said that was basic, that you wanted it to be Reed so it could be different.” she laughs, remembering how upset he got.

 

“You want Lauren, I want you to be happy with it, and it eels right,” Archie explains, because that has suddenly overcome her.

 

They share a kiss, not too long but enough, and she pulls her lips from his with a smile.

 

“Berkeley Lauren Andrews.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then there were three!!! Please give me your thoughts and your Kudos down below if you’re feeling generous or if you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.   
> Hopefully your hearts are full. Yes, there is only two more chapters, and one will be an epilogue with a time jump. But never fear, there’s still more angst to come, always. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!!


	12. December: Brighter Than Ever

December: Brighter Than Ever

x

He doesn’t remember it being this cold when he went to bed last night, or when he woke up at three in the morning to go get Berkeley and soothe her cries, but the apartment is so chilly that he feels goosebumps tingle his arms just outside of their bedroom doorway. 

The noise coming from the living room must be from Veronica and the baby, because when she woke up again at six she told him she’d handle it, and forced him to go back to sleep. It’s only eight now, he couldn’t sleep any longer knowing his two favorite girls were awake. 

They’re snuggled up on the couch, having not turned any lights on besides the television’s glow, and Berkeley looks to be sleeping in Veronica’s arms. Ronnie looks tired herself, and he feels horribly guilty for not waking up with their daughter so she could sleep longer.

“Morning,” she whispers, patting the cushion next to her before he sits, leading her to settle with her legs draped over his lap. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.” 

“Mm, good morning,” Archie exhales, kissing her scalp twice while looking down at Berkeley in her arms, sound asleep with a little baby pout on her tiny face. “Why’s that?”

“Well,” Veronica whispers, talking extremely soft in the voice she always uses around the baby, “Baby girl is awfully cute, but believe it or not she’s not great at conversation.”

“Seems ironic, since the child is never silent,” he teases, not appealing to Veronica’s sense of humor however.

“Do not say that about our daughter,” she whisper yells, squeezing his arm with her fingers. “How can you look at that face and say that?”

He can’t really, once he looks down to see the baby is wide awake now, big brown eyes looking up. Veronica brushes her finger back and forth over the baby’s lips, something they’ve learned that she loves, and Archie watches some more as her eyes transfix on her mother- he knows, because she has that effect on him as well. 

“That’s a big yawn,” Archie points out, noticing that Berkeley is struggling to stretch out in her footed onesie, mouth wide open in tiredness. As soon as Veronica returns to brushing her lips with the one finger, the baby goes back to being content and even lets out a faint coo.

“Are you mama’s baby?” Veronica asks in a high-pitched tone, planting a kiss on her tiny cheek. The little girl’s happiness fades quickly as the doorbell rings, provoking a loud cry and then a fit of tears from her. Archie attempts to get up, but she reaches an arm out before handing him the baby and standing up herself. “You don’t have a shirt on.”

He doesn’t even argue, preoccupied with the task of getting Berkeley to stop crying as Veronica makes her way through the big apartment, finally reaching the front door and buzzing the intercom.

“Who’s there?” she asks through the sound system, and the voice she hears almost sends her into a flurry of panic. 

“It’s Chuck.”

She slips into the hallway quickly before Archie can hear any more of their conversation, closing the apartment door behind her as she finds Chuck standing there in his usual jacket, hands stuffed into the pockets.

“You can’t be here,” Veronica warns, and her tone is serious. “Why the hell would you show up here?”

“I wanted to see you,” he sighs, understanding that she doesn’t reciprocate that. 

“Now is not a good time for- well for whatever you came here for,” she decides, hand still on the doorknob. And yes, she’d much rather be spending time with her precious one month old and boyfriend than be entertaining this conversation.

“I came to talk, about us.” Chuck announces.

That’s when she sighs again, using her fingers to massage along her temples. “There’s not an us, Chuck, and this is highly inappropriate considering the fact that I have a boyfriend and we have a child together.”

“Veronica-“ he attempts, but she won’t even allow him to get a sentence out.

“I need to go back inside, so whatever speech you had planned isn’t going to happen,” Veronica exhales shakily, hand twisting the doorknob until it’s open, but he reaches out to grab her arm lightly. 

“I think you’re making a mistake, Veronica.” Chuck punctuates, and she can feel from the tone of his voice that she doesn’t like where this is going. 

“A mistake about what?” she halfway yells, throwing her arms down by her side. 

“About Archie.”

“Do not question my relationship with Archie ever again,” Veronica hisses, practically feeling the blood rushing through her veins. 

“Oh, you mean the relationship that was so toxic for you that you had to leave town and-“ his attempt at a smart aleck remark is cut off by Archie swinging open the front door with Berkeley still crying in his arms. Her olive skin has turned red and wrinkly and she looks pitiful, so Veronica can’t help but to reach out and brush her fingers along the baby’s face. He simply wanted to see if Veronica feeding Berkeley would help, but his blood boils at the sight of Chuck Clayton talking to his Ronnie, outside of their apartment.

“What is he doing here?” Archie says through almost gritted teeth, and he feels Veronica scooting into his side. 

“He’s just now leaving,” Veronica urges, somewhat pleading to Chuck with tired eyes. 

“Is this what you do Veronica? You pretend to love someone until it’s no longer convenient for you?” Chuck says, hitting somewhere deep inside of her heart and she feels Archie’s arm come to wrap around her waist, pulling her closer. 

“No, I-“ she tries to defend herself, but no words come to mind. A single tear runs down her cheek and she wipes it stubbornly. 

“I’m starting to think maybe you’ve never loved anyone besides yourself- that you’re only with Andrews for the money.” Chuck continues, and Veronica can feel Archie’s fist clenching at her side.

“I would never-“ It’s Archie who interjects this time.

“Get the hell out of here.” 

Archie’s stance alone is enough to get Chuck to turn and walk down the hallway to the elevator- his face is turning red and he’s biting down on his tongue as his hand leaves Veronica’s waist.

“Babe, wait.” Veronica says, but he ignores her and steps back inside, walking all the way to Berkeley’s nursery at the far end of the apartment, away from her. A huge part of her wants to follow him, wants to fight that feeling in the pit of her stomach that they can’t be perfect- but she lets the doubt win, standing with her back pressed against the outside of the front door.

It doesn’t take long, maybe five minutes before he comes back, pulls her into his arms. She’s still crying, she really never quit. 

“I don’t want you to be mad at me.” Veronica mumbles, embarrassed. She hates feeling like this, defeated, letting someone else win, but she’s been in such a good place lately that this is the last thing she expected. 

“Let’s go inside, m’kay? I got Berkeley to go down for her first nap, so you can have a little break.” 

 

“Why are you being nice to me?” It slips out, she doesn’t mean to let it but she’s emotionally worn down- and if she can’t be real with Archie, she can’t be real with anybody. Hesitantly, she follows him inside and waits as he locks the door, clinging onto his arm like an impatient child.

“I know this is the millionth time I’ve said this, but I’ll say it as many times as I have to before you understand. You and me, somehow, this was meant to happen. We didn’t find our way back on accident, and having Berkeley was obviously a sign,” Archie exhales, thumb rubbing the little bones that pop out on the side of her wrist, feeling the smooth skin. “There’s nothing that you have ever done or could ever do that would make me believe otherwise.” 

“I’ve never been able to be so sure of my feelings, Archie. You possess that ability- but I don’t. I want you to know how I feel, really, I just can’t find the right words to express it. But you came back,” she explains, hands a little bit shaky. “You dropped everything and came halfway across the country just for me to shut you out, but you didn’t give up on me or our baby for a second. You stayed, when I didn’t deserve it, when I didn’t deserve you.”

“You always deserved me, it was meant to be like that, Ronnie.”

Their lips connect softly, his thumbs resting lightly on her cheeks, keeping her close. She’s reminded of how much she really does love him- of the million nights she’s spent in his arms, not wanting to be anywhere else. Though she’s never been able to express how she feels, she does feel it, a certainty somewhere deep inside of her chest that this is exactly where she’s meant to be. 

x

“You almost ready?” Archie calls from the end of the hallway, trying to be loud enough for Veronica to hear him over the speakers in their bathroom. 

“How much time do I have?” she says, peeking her head out of the bathroom with a mascara wand in hand. The mistake was being seen, because as soon as Berkeley can spot her, the baby won’t stop crying until she’s in the arms of her mother. Not that Veronica minds.

“Shh, Berk, it’s okay,” Archie says, bouncing her gently in his arms while patting her back to soothe her cries. “My mom and dad will be here any minute, but I can entertain Mom while you finish up.”

“You mean that Berkeley can entertain her,” Veronica corrects, teasingly, as Archie smirks- crossing the room, he gives her a soft kiss on the lips that promises much more. “Give me two minutes.”

“Fine, but then I’m putting on Christmas music and you’re gonna dance with me,” he grinned, getting slightly distracted at Berkeley making a gurgling noise in his arms, having now calmed down. 

Not even a few minutes later, there was a ring at the doorbell, and then an immediate knock as the family of three made their way to the door, Veronica holding Berkeley and Archie getting ready to hug his parents for the first time in too long. Before Archie could get out a hello, Mary rushed into the apartment, straight over to Veronica.

“Where’s my grand baby, oh my goodness,” she gushed, laying eyes upon Berkeley for the first time- Fred had been there shortly after her birth, so he took a moment to greet Archie.

Veronica showed off her daughter more proudly than she had of anything else in her life, gently handing her over to her grandmother and smiling with admiration at her baby girl- she’d never known baby’s could be so precious until they had one, and both her and Archie were positive she was the cutest baby alive.

“Doesn’t she look so much like Archie?” Veronica whispers to Mary, as the two women are huddled close together, watching Berkeley’s every move- Archie and Fred had moved to the living room after he had given Veronica a proper greeting hug. 

“It almost gave me deja vu at first, but she’s just beautiful,” the grandmother smiles, seeing the little girl’s face crinkle in confusion before she sneezed, and then broke out into tears. It used to scare Veronica with how frequently she cried, but they were learning that she was a generally easy baby and that her only fault was her immediate attachment to Veronica. Taking her daughter back into her arms, she kissed over the baby’s face until Berkeley is soothed.

“Bless you, bubba,” Veronica giggles, holding Berkeley against her chest just like the baby likes, watching the little one try to press her cheek against the fabric of her dress. 

 

The rest of the guests arrive within the next few minutes, Josie and Reggie arriving first with multiple gifts for the baby, and then Kevin with a gift for everyone- including Archie’s parents. Toni and Cheryl arrive just in time with desserts, and lastly comes Betty, smelling like the utmost winter fragrance with Jughead behind her, hauling in an entire cooler of food. 

“Betty, I can’t even thank you enough for cooking, you’re a godsend,” Veronica squeezes her best friend tightly, almost collapsing in her arms she’s so glad to see her. Mary has completely taken over the baby which is great since it gives her a chance to greet the houseguests, Reggie being the most shocking encounter.

“Where’s the little Andrews?” he searches somewhat frantically, and Veronica lets out a soft laugh. 

“I’m actually not sure what happened to my baby, she’s with her Mimi and Papa somewhere,” Veronica informs him, and watches as he darts across the room to his next target- Mary. Just as she gets a chance to start talking to Cheryl and Toni, she feels arms snake around her waist before feeling the familiarity of Archie pressed up against her back. 

“Hi honey,” he mumbles into her hair, dotting kisses on the top of her head as Cheryl and Toni swoon, the red head girl giving Veronica a knowing smirk. 

“I think it’s time for Dirty Santa,” Josie calls out, prying Reggie away from Archie’s mom and the baby so he’ll sit back against her knees in the recliner. Cheryl and Toni pile in the other recliner, a tangle of limbs, and Betty, Jughead, Mary and Fred all line up on the couch, leaving Archie and Veronica in the loveseat after she burps the baby. 

“I got first,” Veronica frowns, after handing the baby to Archie so she can sit back down and hand him his number on the paper. 

“Okay, so?” he responded, confused at her disappointment, watching Berkeley snooze soundly. 

“Well what’d you get?” she inquires, chin resting on his shoulder. “If Kevin’s boyfriend gets the best gift I’m gonna be pissed...” Veronica whispers into his ear, making him break out into a fit of laughter.

“Okay mom and dad, secrets are no fun,” Betty groaned, causing Veronica to join in on the laughter as well, watching Archie’s bright face in her peripheral vision. 

The gifts are silly and stupid, an ugly button down shirt being the gift that Archie ends up getting, and he wears it for the rest of the night much to Veronica’s dismay. Mary and Fred have decided to head to their hotel, since they’re coming back in the morning for a Christmas Eve breakfast, and the guests won’t stay long because Archie needs to get a little rest for his show tomorrow night. 

It’s only Josie and Reggie left, Reggie and Archie yelling at the football game on the TV, Berkeley in her uncle’s arms, and the girls are in the kitchen with coffee, wrapping some last minute gifts for the baby. Josie catches Veronica watching them, a smile spread across her rosy cheeks. 

“You’re smitten,” Josie mutters under her breath, pulling Veronica out of her daze. 

“Maybe a bit...” she admits. “I love him so much, Jos, and I think that seeing him with Berkeley made that even stronger.”

“There’s not a thing he wouldn’t do for either of you,” her friend said, something she’d already known and had even tested to no boundaries- there really was not a thing on this planet that he’d refuse to do if it helped her. 

After a particularly loud upset comment by the boys, Berkeley started to whimper, and Archie immediately sprung into action, taking the baby into his arms and soothing her like Veronica usually could only do.

“Reginald,” Josie hissed. “Let’s go before you make their life even more difficult,” The two couples part ways, and Veronica locks the apartment door before rejoining Archie and Berkeley in front of their tall, sparkling Christmas tree. 

Archie’s humming a little Christmas tune to match the radio in the kitchen, lulling Berkeley into her usual state of sleeping. By the time she’s snoozing in the bassinet, Veronica has put all of the cleaned dishes away, and Archie waltzes into the kitchen.

“I was promised a dance,” he holds out his hand, but she doesn’t budge from her spot, letting loose a yawn. “Babe.” Archie presses, and she gives in mostly so she can lay against his chest and feel his muscular arms wrap around her.

He sways her to the music for a while before making her spin and giggle, an uncoordinated mess in the middle of the kitchen. Then, he spins her so hard she lands under the mistletoe, and plants a soft gentle kiss on her lips.

He tastes like mint, and so intriguing that she continues to kiss him feverishly, legs wrapping around his waist as he lifts her up. 

They wrap up in their soft sheets and wool blankets, turning the game back on in their bedroom- she doesn’t mind the noise as long as Archie isn’t out in the living room.

Berkeley is in her line of vision, sound asleep and at last content, and Archie makes a protective glance over at her too.

“Goodnight,” she sighs happily, feeling lips below her ear. 

x

The clock flashes red at her, reading 9:33 AM. Berkeley has never slept past six, so she’s confused until she sees that Berkeley isn’t in the room, and Archie must have gotten up with her.

And when she steps out of their room in her robe, the apartment smells deliciously sweet, revealing Archie in the kitchen making her a cup of coffee and a box filled with goodies.

“You’re awake,” he beams, reaching out for a kiss that lasts a good amount of time, but not as long as she wants. He’s moved the bassinet into the kitchen and has performed the miracle of getting the infant to sleep peacefully. “Berkeley and I went on a little run this morning to get some pastries. She did super great.”

“I bet she’s hungry,” Veronica frowns. “Thanks for the breakfast honey, you’re so adorable,” she leans up, pecking his lips once again. 

“Do you want your Christmas present?” Archie asks, an eagerly boyish smile present on his face. 

“Duh,” she chuckles, watching him dart to the laundry room and return with a small rectangular box. Upon opening it, she’s utterly confused. A black key? “What is this?”

“It’s a key,” he laughs, making her roll her eyes. “To our new LA apartment... we’ll be going back and forth and I figured this was easiest for you to get in a schedule with the baby.”

“Archiekins,” Veronica smiles, accepting his hug easily, feeling extra sappy. “Thank you babe, that’s so thoughtful.”

“I know that we don’t have a traditional life, with a traditional home and a backyard and a dog for our little girl, but I hope it’s still something you want,” Archie whispers, a little shy but still there.

“Of course I want this,” Veronica pecks his lips softly with a gentle smile. “Me and you, forever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and the year has come to a close.   
> I love writing the dynamic between A/V/ and now Berkeley into the mix. Coming into this chapter, I had NO a clue what I wanted to do. I’d thought about a proposal at first or a big album releas party, but it seemed better to make this more of a relaxed filler chapter. The angst was something I’d wanted to right for a long time, another A/V/C fight where Archie gets to stand up for his girl this time!!!  
> The epilogue is coming, but I can’t promise win. Clearly my schedule is whack lately between the appendix surgery and traveling. I landed tonight/ this morning in Scotland perhaps an hour ago, so this was written on the plane ride.
> 
> LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS!!  
> love you


	13. Epilogue

> _5 years later_

 

 

He’s unsure as to why his palms are sweaty in the passenger seat of this Uber, because in his heart there’s purely excitement. The driver makes his way into the familiar loop of LAX, but this time he’s not leaving on another flight, he gets to turn around and sleep in the same place he did last night- a rare thing for him these days.

Berkeley and him are eagerly watching the people flood out of the airport, but he could never miss her face. Practically jumping out of the car, he walks a few steps toward them until Veronica sees them, quickening her pace until she’s in his arms, the most comfortable place she’s ever been. Their lips meet in a frenzied kiss, her hand placed just on the back of his neck, lingering.

“I missed you,” he sighs, the breath vibrating against her lips as the tips of their noses lightly brush, his attention immediately turning to the eager little one in his girlfriend’s arms. “I missed you too, Tatum,” Archie grinned, reaching out his arms to hold his youngest daughter, watching her smile widen as her eyes transfixed on him.

Tatum Elise Andrews was born in June, the definition of a summer baby, with her happy personality. The pregnancy was most definitely a surprise in the middle of Archie’s fourth and so far final tour, and the shows had quite literally wrapped a week before her birth.

As the little girl babbled happily to herself, Archie tickled her tummy and she giggled loudly in response, almost screaming. Berkeley had hopped into her mother’s arms during the absence of the baby, squeezing her neck tight.

“Tatum definitely missed her Daddy,” Veronica noted, smiling two of her three favorite people in the entire world. The baby reached out her arms again for her mother, and once she was being held by Veronica again she nuzzled her head into her shoulder.

“Did she sleep on the flight?” he asks, opening the door for Veronica and getting Berkeley adjusted into her car seat as Veronica did the same for the baby. The three girls sat in the back, with Veronica in the middle. Tatum has her entire hand wrapped around Veronica’s thumb as her older sister babbles to her mom about the weekend.

“Not much, but she was good- she sat in my lap the whole time and we played peekaboo,” Veronica grins, the mention of the word alone igniting a little giggle from the car seat. “She’s gonna want to play all afternoon instead of napping, but you’re on baby duty while Berkeley and I unpack some more stuff.”

“I got more done while you were gone, so it shouldn’t be too bad,” he shrugs, silencing his phone after a few texts from the label, only wanting to focus on his little family after two of his girls are back from their NYC weekend trip.

He already feels guilty for not being able to come with them, since Friday afternoon was their youngest child’s six month old checkup, but he had a benefit concert to perform at that night. But, on the bright side, it had given him the weekend to sort out some things around the new house and get some one on one time with Berkeley- and they worked on something very special.

“Daddy and I set up my swing set!” Berkeley let out, so loud that it almost scared her parents.

“You forgot to tell Mommy your other exciting news, B,” Archie reminded her, a step ahead as he scrolled through the thousands of photos of his little girls to get to the one from this weekend.

“Look, Mom,” the little one tugged on her arm, flashing her two rows of teeth wide until Veronica noticed a second gap on the bottom row where one of her teeth used to be.

“You lost another tooth B?” Veronica asked, almost getting emotional at the thought that her baby had recently turned five and had already lost two of her baby teeth. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me that when we talked on the phone, honey.” she halfway scolded Archie, although she really couldn’t be mad.

“I asked him to wait, Mommy. But guess what...” Berkeley began, her tiny high pitched voice making Veronica smile- she was almost as talkative as her mother. “I was really scared, but Daddy said that if I let him pull it out, we could talk about getting a puppy for my next birthday.”

Archie smirked back at Veronica with somewhat of an apologetic look, but at least they’d had a previous conversation about it. Tatum wasn’t even a year old yet and they definitely wanted to adjust to a second child before throwing a dog into the mix, but they also had their very own backyard now at their home.

Their oldest daughter talked all the way home, as the baby slept soundly in her car seat, still clutching Veronica’s finger, until Veronica gently lifted her from the car seat.

“There’s those sweet little eyes. Hi angel,” Veronica cooed to the infant, kissing along her cheeks as Archie scooped Berkeley up into his own arms, getting all of their stuff out of the car before walking to the door and fishing his key out of his pocket.

“Hey, hey, no,” Veronica interrupted, pushing his hand down. “I wanna do it.”

He grinned at her stubbornness, setting her bag down on the new doormat that read ‘The Andrews’ in big spiraling cursive letters.

“Alright, babe, go ahead,” Archie laughed, handing over the key to her and watching in admiration as she unlocked and entered the front door. “Does it look different than it did three days ago?” he teased her, laughing even harder when she smacked him, eyes going squinty in the way the Veronica always found so adorable.

“Shut up, Andrews, I expected you to make more progress,” she teased back, raising a countering eyebrow.

“I’ll have you know, Lodge, I unpacked every single box except for the girls’ rooms, and I hung up and assembled everything on your list, so-“ she easily shut him up with a kiss, quick but still enough to get his heart pumping in that familiar way, pulling away only to see their baby in her arms and their other (not such a baby) baby playing with her dolls on the white rug in the living room.

“You did our bedroom?” Veronica asked, a playful smile on her face as she tugged his hand back down the long hallway to the biggest room in the house, the room that had made Veronica fall in love with the house in the first place.

It really is a beautiful room, oddly shaped, but it has floor to ceiling windows on one side with a door out to the backyard and the pool house, giving a beautiful view of the pinkish Los Angeles sunset. Veronica doesn’t even have time to admire the assembled room before Berkeley is tugging on her sleeve to play dolls, and Tatum bursts into a fit of tears that’s ear piercingly high pitched.

Her boyfriend reaches out his arms, quickly taking the baby and leaving so that Veronica can have a few tear free moments and so that Berkeley can spend some time with her mom.

It gives him an opportunity to grab something from a hidden spot in the house, calming Tatum down while doing so, and returning to the bedroom with a knock.

“I guess she’s not hungry?” Veronica asked, a bit confused, her and Berkeley having moved onto the bed to continue playing with her favorite doll.

“Evidently not,” Archie responded, climbing into the bed and sitting behind Veronica, resting his chin in the crook of her shoulder.

“Where’s my little angel?” Veronica peeked behind her shoulder, seeing her youngest awake and content in Archie’s arms, gazing straight at the ceiling. “I think it’s time to go put her down for a nap.”

Archie’s face turned immediately, a little bit of nerves but mostly excitement that this was finally becoming a reality. He held Tatum tightly in his arms, not following her out of the room but standing up to face her when she turned back around, two feet away from him in front of their bed.

“Veronica,” he said softly, watching her face turn confused at what was going on.

“Is everything okay?” Veronica asked, brushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear, eyes never leaving his. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asks, cheeks turning hot at his intense stare, soft enough to keep her heart pounding in that fluttery way.

“Because you’re you,” he says simply, and it feels as if it’s always been that simple. The way he loves her- it’s because she’s her, and there isn’t a single person who matches up to that. “And I love you, more than I ever imagined loving someone in my life.”

“Archie...” she asks, reaching out for his hand, and he takes it, but doesn’t let her speak.

“I’ve loved you since we were sixteen years old, and it still feels the same. My heart still beats out of my chest every time I kiss you, and I don’t think there’s any part of you that I don’t love,” Archie says, watching Veronica’s face turn into an emotional stature.

“Stop it, Arch,” she tried, squeezing on his hand a little, Berkeley having wrapped herself around her mother’s leg, and he watches Veronica brush back their daughter’s loose curls.

“I’m serious, babe. And then you gave up everything for me, traveled around the country with me for a year and it felt like I’d never been closer to somebody, like I’d never want to be closer to somebody. When we’d lay up in bed together and just stay up all night talking and giggling and sharing stupid secrets- those were some of the best nights of my life.” he said, truthfully, letting out a shuddery breath, a smile taking over his whole face.

“They were my favorites too,” Veronica grinned, untangling their hands so she could brush against his cheek before holding his palm again.

“Then things turned to a mess, and there was Berkeley, and it was as if I knew I would do whatever it took to have you back in my life, I would’ve done anything. But you picked me again, and you’ve given me two daughters, the greatest gifts I’ve ever gotten, Ronnie,” she interrupts him with tears eyes.

“Stop making me emotional,” she tries, chuckling at her own tears. He laughs along, his thumb brushing across her knuckles softly.

“What I’m trying to say, is that at every stage of my life you were there, and I always loved you, I always confided in you- because you were my person, you’re the love of my life. And I can’t go any longer without doing this- I should’ve done it as soon as we graduated, and I’ve thought about it everyday since but I know we’re ready,” Archie grinned, reaching into his pocket as her jaw dropped.

“You’re not being serious,” Veronica said, sobbing a little bit quietly as he handed her the baby and kneeled in front of her- it wasn’t some romantic setting or a perfectly planned gesture, just their little family in their new home, but her heart was always his regardless.

“I’m being dead serious- Veronica Cecilia Lodge, will you finally do me the honor of marrying me?” he asked, looking up at her like she was the only woman in the world, his eyes filled with stars.

She couldn’t even respond with words, just a kiss after she caught a glimpse of the big sparkly diamond, encasing his lips in hers and holding both of their angels between them, kissing until she felt like she couldn’t go another second without looking at his face.

“I love you,” Veronica finally said after pulling away, offering her hand so he could slide the practically perfect ring onto her finger.

“Guess who helped pick out the ring?” Archie grinned down at Berkeley who was now jumping up and down with her hand raised. “And she did a great job keeping it a secret.”

“It’s beautiful Bubba, I love it,” Veronica beamed, bending down to kiss Berkeley’s cheek, adding in the high five that Berkeley wanted.

“Daddy got you a pretty good Christmas present,” Berkeley giggled, being scooped up into Archie’s arms for a hug.

“He sure did,” Veronica gazed at the ring in the light, smiling with the utmost admiration. “It’s beautiful.”

“A beautiful ring for the most beautiful girl in the world,” Archie said, sounding so smitten as he kissed her cheek again, pulling her close.

x

The evening goes by quickly, busy filled with dinner, baths, two tantrums, until both girls are finally settled in bed, Berkeley sound asleep, and the baby actually still awake, but perfectly content after being fed. Veronica trudges back into their bedroom after turning off the lights in the house and grabbing a bowl of snacks to bring to bed, dressed only in one of Archie’s sweatshirts that covered her bum.

“At last, a moment of peace,” Veronica sighed jokingly after shutting the bedroom door, tiptoeing to the bed and crawling under the covers next to him, practically wrapping her whole body around his.

“Hey there, fiancé,” Archie lingered over the words, watching her face light up in a giddy smile.

“I’m so happy,” Veronica said, kissing a million dots all over his face. “And excited- just for Christmas with the girls and all.”

“I can’t wait to see Berk helping her little sister open gifts, and to see if Tatum gets excited,” Archie commented, imaging her happy chubby little face.

“I don’t think B ever got that excited until maybe last year,” Veronica shrugged. “But I definitely think we nailed the present game this year... the only thing better would be a puppy and maybe we can consider that for the summer.”

Archie leaned down to give her a soft kiss, one that lasted quite a few minutes as they finally got a time alone to celebrate their engagement.

“Are you thinking a spring wedding?” Veronica asked, already having it all imagined in her mind after years and years of waiting- she was glad thought, the timing was right and they were at a good place in their lives.

“I just care about you, the girls, and me, Ronnie. And we’ll have plenty of time to think about it- but first I want you to enjoy Christmas in the new house. There’s a lot more gifts...” he smirked.

She crawled into his lap and gave him a kiss that would linger long into the night, that feeling he had that would never go away.

x

They both woke up to a light knock on the door, and a whimper from their daughter.

“Mommy, can you please wake up now?” Berkeley called through the door. Groaning before grabbing the sweatshirt and putting it back on, she popped on her glasses to pad over to the door and open it, pulling Berkeley into her arms as she crouched down. Archie watched with his head propped up on his pillow, his girlfriends messy bun letting out a few loose pieces. He loved her like this- the way she looked in the morning, so effortlessly beautiful.

And Berkeley looked all too cute in her Disney princess nightgown, gangly curls as she clutched to her mother’s arms, being held as she always insisted in the morning.

“Can you ask Daddy to make blueberry pancakes?” Berkeley whispered to Veronica, who absolutely couldn’t resist.

“Daddy, someone wants you to make some pancakes with blueberries... and maybe some chocolate milk?” Veronica gave her best pouty lip, knowing Archie was toast to that face from his girls. “You’re the best.”

“And can we go play with Taty Bug?” she asked, causing her mother to glance at the clock and see that it was late enough to wake the baby up. They made their way to the pale pink nursery, sitting down on the rug with the now awoken baby, watching her gurgle at first as her eyes went wide.

They played with Tatum’s favorite stuffed animal, a little bunny rabbit, occasionally tickling her belly and watching her laugh until Archie yelled that it was time to eat. Halfway through breakfast, however, Veronica decided it was time to get up and go to the playroom for a surprise.

The door was shut, and Veronica kept Berkeley out with one arm, the baby perched on her opposite hip- while Archie stood behind and filmed on his phone.

“Okay, since all of your aunties and uncles will be over tomorrow morning, we decided we’d let you have your gifts from Mommy and Daddy to play with today, does that sound fun?” Veronica asked, crouching to Berkeley’s level.

“Yes, yes, Mommy, I wanna see!” she almost shrieked, springing in the door once Veronica opened it, watching her dark brown hair bounce around.

Berkeley had a million different toys and hair bows, but the only things she payed attention to were her toy Jeep (which Archie had convinced Veronica to buy), and the little ukulele they’d gotten for her.

“Daddy, are you gonna teach me how to play just like you?” Berkeley questioned eagerly into the camera, sticking out her tongue. “I wanna be a rockstar.”

Their toddler began to strum at the strings without pattern, and Veronica bounced Tatum in her lap to the beat, blushing when Archie turned the camera towards her.

“Quit it,” she groaned, pulling Berkeley closer so they could all three smile and wave goodbye to the video.

“Merry Christmas Eve,” Veronica and Berkeley said, making goofy faces that had Archie cracking up, and Tatum stuck to her usual little chubby drooling face- equally as cute.

“That’s so adorable.” Archie smiled, feeling like he was the luckiest person alive. He felt so at home here, with them, and this life him and her had built together. This is how it was meant to be- him and Veronica, written in the stars.

 

They wouldn’t fade away- not now, not ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading along with this book and for all of the support and love you’ve shown my work. I don’t know how to express my joy.
> 
> I’ve loved writing these layered versions of Archie and Veronica through these difficult stages they’ve gone through, and I feel like a tiny part of me is emotionally invested. 
> 
> If you want to comment about this chapter, or if you’ve read but never commented before, please do so. They make my day and I promise to reply to every single one!!! 
> 
> I’m hopeful that you’ve enjoyed this as much as I did.
> 
> All my love,
> 
> THE END.

**Author's Note:**

> This book is based off of Silhouette by Aquilo, and their songs will be used frequently for Archie’s song lyrics.


End file.
